CASARCA CANA. 



SOUTH AFRICAN SHELDDRAKE. 



(Plates 53 [male] and 54 [female].) 



Anas cana, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., i, p. 510 (1788). 



Casarca cana, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 753 (1875-84) ; 

 Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 129 (1892) ; Salva- 

 dori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvn, p. 182 (1895) ; Reichenow, 

 Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 137 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., 

 m, p. 352 (1905) ; Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 131 

 (1906). 



Local Name. " Berg-eend " of the Dutch. 



Description. Adult male, female, and chick as in figures. 

 Length of male about 26 in. The female is shghtly smaller. 



Distribution. The South African Sheld-drake has a very restricted 

 range, and so far has only been met with in Cape Colony, the 

 Orange River Colony and the Transvaal, and has not been 

 recorded from Natal, Rhodesia or German South-west Africa. 



Mb. Sclater states in tlie fourth volume of the Fauna of 

 South Africa, that this species is considered to be a scarce 

 bird, but Messrs. Grant and Seimund found it very common 

 all the year round at Deelfontein in the centre of the Karroo. 

 Near Bloemfontein it is by no means rare, and I have seen 

 it the whole year round on dams of suitable size. Sheld-drake, 

 except when actually breeding, are usually in small parties 

 of five or six, presumably the last season's brood. I have 

 invariably found them wild and suspicious, and they are 

 always the first to leave when the shooting begins. 



Before I went to South Africa I had often heard that this 

 species was frequently caught young and kept in captivity 

 by the Boers. This rumour caused me many weary journeys, 



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