AFRICAN BLACK DUCK 
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(Stark and Sclater, 1906). At Irene, near Pretoria, a pair nested on an islet in the 
middle of a “dam,” concealed among some rushes and built on the ground about two 
feet above the water. 
The clutch is often small, but as many as eleven have been noted. According to 
Blaauw (1917) the eggs are rather large, elongated and of a pale-yellow color with 
much gloss. They measure 57 by 42.5 mm. (Layard, 1875-84). Blaauw hatched 
the eggs under a hen on the twenty-fifth day. The young are said to remain with 
the parents for some time after they are hatched (Woodwards, in Stark and Sclater, 
1906), and it is probable that as with the Sheldrakes the pairs remain together 
throughout the year. 
Status. The status of this duck has probably not changed materially since the 
days of the earlier explorers. Although well distributed it can hardly be called a 
plentiful species anywhere. 
Enemies. Horsbrugh (1912) mentions the large monitor lizards {Varanus), 
which swarm on the rivers, as destroying many eggs and young of this and other 
species. 
Food Value. A note by Atmore (in Layard, 1875-84) in which he describes the 
African Black Duck as “delicious eating,” is the only direct information on this 
subject that I have found. 
Hunt. Swynnerton (1908) says the natives snare them in Gazaland. Nothing 
else has been recorded. 
Behavior in Captivity. Although the African Black Duck is apparently kept 
rather commonly in South African Gardens, and is said to be easily tamed and to 
bear captivity well (Stark and Sclater, 1906; Swynnerton, 1908; Sharpe, 1904), it 
does not appear to have been introduced into Europe until a very recent date. 
Blaauw (1917) has given a full and very interesting account of a pair which he 
brought back from Natal in 1914. In the spring of the following year the birds be- 
came very quarrelsome with the other ducks, so that he had to isolate them. They 
made no attempt to breed. Toward the end of April, 1916, the female began to lay 
in a small box placed among the reeds over the water. She laid six eggs, which were 
buried in an ample layer of down. The eggs were taken from her and given to a ban- 
tam hen which hatched them on the twenty-fifth day (May 29). The ducklings were 
very active from the first and fed on ant larvae and any insects they could catch. 
They were all successfully reared. The old female continued to incubate the eggs of 
an Australian Black Duck {Anas superciliosa) that had been given her. Each time 
she left them in search of food the male kept her company as long as she was about. 
