ANSERES ANAS 137 



Distribution. The range of the Black Duck is restricted to 

 Eastern and Southern Africa, from Abyssinia southwards to Cape 

 Colony. It does not reach West Africa except Angola, where it has 

 once been procured by M. de Sousa. In South Africa this duck, 

 though never very abundant, is widely spread throughout Cape 

 Colony, Natal, the Transvaal and Ehodesia, but hitherto it has 

 not been noticed in German South-west Africa except at its 

 extreme southern limits. It appears to be a resident in some 

 districts and a migrant in others ; its movements are probably 

 irregular. The following are localities : Cape Colony Knysna, 

 July, August (Victorin), Port Elizabeth (Bickard) East London, 

 throughout the year (Wood), St. John's Eiver in Pondoland, summer 

 (Shortridge), Buffalo Eiver at King Williams Town (Trevelyan arid 

 Pym), Grahamstown (Bt. Mus.), Deelfontein, April (Seimund), Orange 

 Eiver near Upington, November (Bradshaw), near Aliwal (White- 

 head), Hartz Eiver near Taungs (Holub) ; Natal Durban (Ay res), 

 Umbilo Eiver near Pinetown, January (Stark), Maritzburg, May 

 (Buckley), Ingagane Eiver near Newcastle, June, July (Eeid), 

 Umkusi Eiver in Zululand (Woodward) ; Basutoland common in 

 mountain streams (Murray) ; Transvaal near Pretoria (Buckley), 

 Potchefstroom, March, April, and Lydenburg (Ayres) ; Bechuana- 

 land Botletli Eiver (Bryden) ; Ehodesia near Victoria (W. L. 

 Sclater) ; German South-west Africa Great Fish Eiver in Southern 

 Namaqualand (Andersson). 



Habits. The Black Duck is a somewhat solitary species usually 

 seen in pairs or occasionally in small family parties, but never in 

 large flocks. It is essentially a river bird, where these conditions 

 prevail, though in the neighbourhood of Deelfontein, where it is said 

 to be not uncommon, it must make its home on the vleis and dams, 

 as there are no rivers in the neighbourhood. It is somewhat 

 nocturnal in its habits, lying hidden as a rule during the day and 

 issuing forth in the evening. It feeds on grass seeds and probably 

 also on water insects and Crustacea, and has a loud quack. When 

 disturbed it rises heavily, like a Pochard, but more often skulks 

 under the reeds along the river beds and endeavours to conceal 

 itself. 



Though easily tamed and bearing captivity well this Duck seems 

 to have seldom reached Europe alive, and has never been exhibited 

 in the Zoological Gardens of London. 



Little has been recorded about the breeding habits of this 

 species ; the Woodwards state that it nests in thick reeds and lays 



