18 Dr. R. B. Sharpe on Birds 



A clutch of eggs, ten in number, measure : axis 2"55-2 - 8 

 inches, diam. 1-8-1 "95. The colour is creamy-white. 



[Very common and occurring all the year round. It is 

 generally found in pairs, but it is not unusual to see half a 

 dozen together on a dam feeding or resting. The nest is 

 in the hole of an ant-bear or porcupine on the veldt. It 

 took us between five and six hours to dig one out. The 

 eggs are from eight to ten in number. This Sheld-duck 

 is much appreciated by the farmers as a delicacy.] 



29. Anas sparsa. 



Anas sparsa Smith; Sharpe, ed. Layard, p. 756 (1884); 

 Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 213 (1895) ; Sharpe, Hand-1. B. i. 

 p. 216 (1899) ; Reichenow, t. c. p. 115 (1900). 



a. S ad. Deelfontein, April 20, 1902. 



[Fairly common, generally found in pairs, and said by the 

 farmers to breed in the neighbourhood, though we never 

 found a nest. It is not very wild and thrives well in 

 captivity.] 



30. Aethyia erythrophthalma. 



Aythya capensis (Cuv.) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard, p. 760 (1884). 



Xyroca brunnea Eyton; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 351 

 (1895). 



Xyroca erythrophthalma (Wied) ; Salvad. Ibis, 1896, 

 p. 101. 



Aythya erythrophthalma Sharpe, Hand-1. B. i. p. 223 

 (1899). 



Nyroca capensis Reichenow, t. c. p. 108 (1900). 



a, b. $ . Deelfontein, Sept. 5, 1902. 



[This was a very rare bird, and only a single pair was 

 seen. Both individuals were very tame, and when the first was 

 shot, the second came and pitched beside its dead companion.] 



31. Erismatura maccoa. 



Erismatura maccoa (Smith) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard, p. 762 

 (1884) ; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 448 (1895) ; Sharpe, 

 Hand-1. B.i. p. 227 (1899); Reichenow, t. c. p. 105 (1900). 



o. g ad. Deelfontein, May 6, 1902. 



