356 
ANAS ERYTHRORHYNCHA 
Wariness. This is a rather tame duek, according to Horsbrugh (1912) and 
Stark and Sclater (1906). Von Heuglin (1873) classed them as not shy in Abyssinia, 
where the natives do not eat water-birds. C. G. Davies (1911) in his account of the 
birds of East Griqualand says that he found them tamer than the Yellow-bill. 
Flight. The flight is swift, and by Roch and Newton (1863) was considered 
more rapid even than that of the Goose Teal {Nettapus auritus). Ordinarily these 
birds travel in small parties of eight or ten, but large flocks have been noted, even in 
Madagascar (Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1876-81) and in southern Abyssinia 
(von Erlanger, 1905). 
Voice. Both the sexes are silent, and so seldom utter any sound that no accurate 
observations on the voice have been made. Blaauw (1919) describes the male as a 
remarkably silent bird. The only call he ever heard it utter was a subdued drawling 
note with very little sound in it and accompanied by an elevation of the head. Very 
likely this is only a courtship note, for Holub and von Pelzeln (1882) speak of a 
rapidly repeated whistle of medium strength. A rather low, harsh quack, seldom 
uttered, was spoken of by Horsbrugh (1912) and is undoubtedly the note of the 
female. 
Food. Nothing is known about the food or feeding habits, but Roch and New- 
ton (1863) state that in Madagascar the birds visit the rice-fields. 
Courtship and Nesting. The very meager information available leads one to 
suppose that the season is just as irregular and extended as with most African ducks. 
Eggs have been found in South Africa in February and March (Stark and Sclater, 
1906; Horsbrugh, 1912) while broods have been seen in September (Masterson, 
1916). In the Kilimandjaro region a mature egg was taken from a female on May 
18 (Sjbstedt, 1910) and on the Nyeri swamps half-grown young were found in June 
and July (Reichenow, 1905). A specimen in the U.S. National Museum, taken in 
British East Africa on July 20, had recently moulted the primaries. 
No actual nests have been described, but they are said (Stark and Sclater, 1906; 
Horsbrugh, 1912) to be placed on the ground in thick cover on the borders of vleis 
or ponds. Sometimes, it is claimed, the nests actually float on the water, but such a 
position must be very exceptional with surface-feeding ducks. If such nests have 
actually been found they were probably floated by the rising w^ater. The materials 
used are the same as those usually taken by shoal-water ducks. The cluteh numbers 
from six to ten, the average being eight, or perhaps less. Captive females in Mr. 
Blaauw’s collection generally laid only seven eggs, and broods of only five young 
appear to be common. The eggs are of a light greenish-white color and measure 
