122 ANSEIiES NETTOPUS 



Four species spread over the Ethiopian, Oriental and Australian 

 regions are generally recognised. Only one of these inhabits Africa 



614. Nettopus auritus. Dwarf Goose. 



Anas aurita, Bodd. Tahl. PI. Enl p. 48 (1783). 



Anas madagascariensis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 522 (1788). 



Nettapus madagascariensis, Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 251 [Natal] ; Layard, 

 B. 8. Afr. p. 348 (1867) : id. Ibis, 1869, p. 377 ; Ayres, Ibis, 1877, 

 p. 354. 



Nettapus auritus, Kirh, Ibis, 1864, p. 336 ; Gurney in Andersson's B. 

 Damaral. p. 336 (1872) ; Gates, Matabeleland, p. 327, fig. on p. 243 

 (1881) ; Holub S Pelneln, Orn. Sild-Afr. p. 328 (1882) ; Sharpe, ed. 

 Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 750 (1884); Ayres, Ibis, 1886, p. 297; 

 NicoUs and Eglington, Sportsm. 8. A. p. 122 (1892) ; Bryden, Gun 

 and Camera, p. 406 (1893) ; Fleclc, Journ. Ornith. 1894, p. 380 ; 

 8alvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii. p. 65 (1895) ; 8helley, B. Afr. i, p. 170 

 (1896) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 208 (1899) ; W. L. 8clater, 

 Ibis, 1899, p. 114 [Inhambane] ; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 269 ; 

 Beichenow, Vog. Afr. i. p. 127 (1900) ; Helhnayr, Journ. Ornith. 

 1902, p. 237 [Sibanini]. 



Description. Adult Male. — Forehead, sides of the face, chin, 

 throat and an almost complete ring round the middle of the neck 

 white ; crown and a narrow band down the back of the neck dark 

 metallic-green, separating a pale green patch on either side of the 



Fig. 36. —Head of Nettopus auritus, i . x ^^ 



neck ; this is again separated by a narrow line of black from the 

 white of the face and throat ; lower neck all round, sides of the 

 body and flanks rufous-chestnut, slightly speckled with green on the 

 lower hind neck ; the lower breast and abdomen pure white, and 



