136 ANSEKBS ANAS 



Layard states that this Duck nests on the dry veld away from 

 water in dense bush, and that, as the female sits very close, she is 

 difficult to find. Ayres, on the other hand, states that the nest is 

 built up of dry flags among the rushes, well above the level of the 

 water. 



The eggs, generally from six to nine in number, are elliptical, 

 smooth, and vary from a very pale brown to creamy in colour ; 

 examples from Zoetendal's vlei in the South African Museum 

 measure 2-27 X 1-75. 



620. Anas sparsa. Black Duck. 



Anas sparsa, Smith, Cat. S. Afr. Mtts. p. 36 (1837) ; id. lllastr. Zool. S. 

 Afr. Aves. pi. 97 (1844) ; Grill, K. Vet. Ahad. Handl. StocJch. ii, no. 

 10, p. 56 (1858) ; Garney, Ibis, 1859, p. 251 [Natal] ; Kirh, Ibis, 1864, 

 p. 336 ; Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 352 (1867) ; Gurney, in Andersson's 

 B. Damaral. p. 341 (1872) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1874, p. 105, 1876, p. 433, 

 1880, p. 273 ; BucUey, Ibis, 1874, p. 391 ; OaUey, Trans. S. A. 

 Phil. Soc. ii, p. 50 (1881) ; Butler, Feilden and Beid, Zool. 1882, p. 

 427 ; Holub & Pelzeln, Orn. 8iid-Afr. p. 330 (1882) ; Sharpe, ed. 

 Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 756 (1884) ; NicoUs and Eglington, Sportsm. 

 S. A. p. 124, pi. xii, fig. 61 (1892) ; Bryden, Gun and Camera, p. 407 

 (1893) ; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxyii, p. 213 (1895) ; Shelley, B. Afr. 

 i, p. 172 (1896) ; Woodward Bros. Ibis, 1898, p. 222 ; id. Natal B. p. 

 210 (1899) ; Beichenow, Vcig. Afr. i, p. 115 (1900) ; Whitehead, Ibis, 

 1903, p. 237; Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 18 [Deelfontein] ; Shortridge, 

 Ibis, 1904, p. 207. 



" Edada " of Amaxosa and Zulus, a name also applied to other species. 



Description. Adult Male. — General colour very dark ashy- 

 brown, almost black, somewhat paler below, slightly freckled with 

 greyish about the head and neck ; scapulars, tail-coverts and tail- 

 feathers with a few white transverse bands ; speculum metallic 

 greenish and purplish, formed by the outer webs of the inner 

 secondaries, surrounded by a velvety black band which is again 

 bordered in front and behind by a white band ; tail of 18 feathers 

 which are rather long and broad. 



Iris dark brown ; bill slaty, stripe down the culmen, tip and two 

 patches on either side of stripe black ; lower mandible yellow ; legs 

 orange yellow, webs black. 



Length (in the flesh) 23-0; wing 9-5; tail 5-0, tarsus 1-5; 

 culmen 1-6 ; weight about 2 lbs. 8 oz. (Ayres). The female is like 

 the male, but smaller ; length (in flesh) 20 ; wing 9-0 ; tarsus 1-25 ; 

 culmen 1-5 ; weight 2 lbs. 6 oz. (Ayres). 



