ANSEBES PLECTEOPTEBUS 117 



Bechuanaland and along the Zambesi, and is seldom met with 

 south of the Orange River, as the following records show. 



Cape Colony Peelton, near King Williams Town, two examples 

 seen (Trevelyan), Port St. John's, two seen, rare (Shortridge), 

 Orange Eiver, near Aliwal North, once seen, January (Whitehead), 

 Lady Grey division, not uncommon (Lawrence), Mahura's country 

 (i.e., Taungs division) (Arnot), Hart's Eiver (Holub), Vaalpens Pan, 

 near Mafeking (Nicolls and Eglington) ; Natal Newcastle district, 

 in winter (Butler), Howick, Maritzburg and Conzella flats (Wood- 

 ward) ; Basutoland near Maseru, on the Caledon, breeding 

 (Bowker) ; Transvaal Vaal Eiver, near Heidelberg (Gilfillan) ; 

 Bechuanaland Lake Ngami, Botletli and Tougha Eivers (Chap- 

 man, Andersson, Bryden and Fleck) ; Ehodesia Upper Zambesi 

 (Livingstone, Chapman and Holub), Mashonaland, not uncomnfon 

 (Marshall), German South-west Africa, Okavango Eiver (Andersson) ; 

 Portuguese East Africa Lower Zambesi (Alexander). 



Habits. This, the largest of South African Ducks, can be at 

 once recognised by the sharp pointed spur arising from the carpal 

 bone of the wing which the bird uses in fighting with its fellows ; 

 they are usually seen in small flocks which fly far overhead in the 

 usual V formation ; they come early from the swamps and feed 

 over the grass- and corn-lands on seeds, as well as on insects 

 and worms, while they spend the middle of the day resting on 

 a tree branch or on some island or rock in the river. Their cry 

 is a loud hiss. They are difficult birds to approach, as they are 

 usually very shy, and even when within range, they are hard to kill 

 owing to their tough skins. 



As a rule they make their nests in long grass or in thick reed 

 beds, where they lay from eight to twelve eggs. A clutch of eight 

 eggs was taken by Colonel Bowker from an old Hammerkop's nest 

 on an overhanging rock on the banks of the Caledon Eiver near 

 Maseru in Basutoland: some of these eggs are still in the South 

 African Museum ; they are smooth, shining and ivory white and 

 measure about 2-8 x 2-1. Livingstone states that on the Upper 

 Zambesi these birds choose ant-hills for their nests. 



Most authorities state that the young birds are delicate and 

 tender to eat, though the old ones are tough and unpalatable. 



