ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. I5t 
brown-black spots ; wings black, with a green lustre ; speculum 
on the secondaries coppery-red; under wing-coverts glossy- 
black, the greater ones dark grey; axillaries white; tail above 
brown-black, with a green lustre; below greyish-brown ; bill 
black; “legs red” (King). 
Female.—Similar to the male, but duller. 
Young.—In down, upper parts brown; under parts, 
sides of the head, a band on the posterior edge of the wing, 
joining another on the sides of the back, and a spot on each 
side of the rump whitish; a brown band from the eye to the 
occiput, and a second one across the cheeks (Mus. Turin). 
RARE DUCK. 
(Anas sparsa). 
This bird, also called the Black Duck, inhabits South and 
East Africa, and according to Layard and Sharpe, in their 
‘Birds of South Africa,” is solitary and shy in its habits, fre- 
quenting rivers, under the banks of which it conceals itself 
during the day. It is scarce, but generally distributed. ‘‘In 
Natal,” says Mr. Ayres, “we seldom find more than two of 
these birds together; they frequent the rocky streams in the 
interior of the country, and are by no means plentiful. In the 
moulting season we have shot them so denuded of feathers that 
they could not fly a yard, and depended for their safety on 
diving, and hiding under the banks, at which they are very 
expert, and it is difficult to frighten them from their hiding 
places.” The name ‘“‘ Black Duck” seems to be a misnomer, 
as the colour appears to be of a dusky-brown throughout. Sir 
John Kirk states that the breeding season is in the early spring, 
and that the young birds may be obtained in March. 
