AFRICAN RED-BILLED DUCK 
357 
about 50.8 by 39.4 mm. (Stark and Sclater, 1906). The incubation period and the 
behavior of the male during and after this time have never been studied or described. 
Status. In South Africa this species is, next to the Yellow-bill, perhaps the com- 
monest of the smaller ducks (F. Oates, 1881; E. A. Butler, Feilden and Reid, 1882; 
Stark and Sclater, 1906). In the Transvaal it appears to be by far the commonest 
duck (T. Ayres, 1880) and the same is true of Damara- and Great Namaqualand 
(Andersson, 1872). 
Damage. These ducks are said to visit the rice-fields in Madagascar (Roch and 
Newton, 1863), and possibly may cause some little damage to the crops. 
Food Value. This is an excellent bird for the table (E. A. Butler, Feilden, and 
Reid, 1882; Sibree, 1892; Stark and Sclater, 1906). Davies called it “quite the best 
eating of all our duck,” referring in general to South Africa. 
Hunt. Sibree (1892) states that in Madagascar it is considered the most tender 
of all the ducks and was especially sought after at Antananarivo for the Queen’s 
table. He adds that all Her Majesty’s birds had to be shot with small slugs of iron 
wire, and not with lead, lest by accident a little lead swallowed should result in 
lead-poisoning ! 
Behavior in Captivitt. Pollen found this species kept by the inhabitants of 
Bourbon and Mauritius (Hartlaub, 1877), but evidently it has not been systemati- 
cally introduced there. 
Although a very rare duck in collections it was imported into England at an early 
date by Lord Derby. The London Gardens obtained five specimens when the Knows- 
ley collection was sold in 1851. These specimens bred in the Gardens annually from 
1856 to 1860 (P. L. Sclater, 1880) but the species was then lost and was not reintro- 
duced until the early part of the present century. Pocock (London Eield, May 1, 1915) 
speaks of it as a very rare bird in captivity and hardly ever obtainable in England. 
He had known of only one or two pairs being offered for sale during the previous 
five or six years. These were said to have been bred on the Continent. The recent 
specimens in the London Gardens came through the King’s African collection in 
1911. The few obtainable in European markets have always been very expensive, 
and before the War were said to be worth £5 to £6 the pair (Horsbrugh, 1912). One 
of the earlier specimens in the London Gardens lived to the age of twelve years and 
eight months (P. C. Mitchell, 1911). 
On the Continent this species was recently bred by Mr. Blaauw (1919) on his 
estate at Gooilust, Holland. He was the first to describe the downy young and 
immature plumages. The Red-bill has never been introduced into America so far 
as I know. 
