ANSERES XYROOA 149 



on the west to Angola ; furthermore, if (as is here accepted) Salvadori's 

 recent identifications are proved to be correct, in South America, in 

 Southern Brazil and Peru. 



In South Africa, this Duck, though never very abundant, is 

 found throughout the greater portion of the country, even on the 

 Karoo, where conditions hardly seem favourable. It appears to be 

 generally met with in summer from September to December, and 

 is probably a breeding migrant. 



The following are localities : Cape Colony Berg River, breeding 

 September, Zoetendals Vlei in Bredasdorp, November (Layard), 

 Cape division, September, Knysna, November (S. A. Mus.), Port 

 Elizabeth, very rare (Brown), Kleinmont Eiver in Bathurst (Ather- 

 stone), Deelfontein in Richmond division, September, rare (Seimund), 

 Woodhouse Kraal in Mafeking division (Bryden) ; Natal Sea Cow 

 Lake near Durban, November (Ayres), near Howick (Burges), 

 Newcastle, September to October, breeding (Butler) ; Orange River 

 Colony Rhenoster River, May (Ayres in Bt. Mus.), near Mafeteng 

 in Basutoland (Murray) ; Transvaal Marico (Barratt), near 

 Potchefstroom (Ayres) ; Bechuanaland Ngami (Nicolls), Botletli 

 (Bryden) ; Rhodesia Upper Zambesi (Bradshaw in Bt. Mus.), 

 Feira, north-east Rhodesia (Stoehr) ; German South-west Africa 

 near Barmen, Ondonga, common, breeding February (Andersson) ; 

 Portuguese East Africa Inhamban, December (Francis in S. A. 

 Mus.). 



Habits. All the Pochards are essentially divers, obtaining their 

 food by diving entirely beneath the water, and not as the true 

 Ducks do, merely searching in shallow water with the posterior 

 half of the body vertically projecting. There is little to say about 

 this species. It is generally found about the larger rivers and near 

 the sea, though sometimes met with far inland. It is wary and 

 wild, and has a more rapid flight than some of the other Ducks ; 

 it dives well. 



It was found nesting on the Berg River in September by Mr. 

 Layard, who states that the eggs were from five to eight in number. 

 Three of these are still preserved in the South African Museum ; 

 they are broad, almost regular ovals, smooth and moderately glossy, 

 of a pale creamy white colour, and measure 2-3 x T65. 



Eggs obtained by Andersson at Ondonga in February are pre- 

 served in the British Museum ; judging by the description given 

 they are rather smaller and darker in colour than those I have 

 examined. 



