Alfred Ezra—-Bearing the Madagascar White-Backed Duck 361


are mated to greys, though, of course, this means a number of grey

and pied young.


That I have had no success with Spermophike this season may be

due to the fact that what, apart from a yellow bill, looked for all the

world like a hen White-throated Finch has turned out to be a cock of

some sort—either an immature White-throated or some allied species

with which I am not familiar.


These notes have already amply justified the title in so far as

desultoriness is concerned. The following incident may have some

bearing on the length of this article, even if it has none whatever on

aviculture !


Among the many old customs associated with this Church is that

of distributing numerous loaves of bread on 1st May. The terms of

the old charity decree that the Vicar shall preach a sermon to those

assembled at the prescribed service, and shall receive the sum of five

shillings “ for his pains With the enthusiasm of a newly-appointed

Vicar I availed myself of the first such opportunity to speak at even

greater length than I have here written. When the loaf-laden congrega¬

tion had dispersed I said to my Curate, “ well, I think I have earned

my five shillings.” To which, he, with an asperity perhaps pardonable

in one who had had to listen to the homily without receiving even a

loaf, replied, “ I think the people have earned their bread.”



SUCCESSFUL REARING OF THE

MADAGASCAR WHITE-BACKED DUCK


(Thalassornis leuconota insularis)


By Alfred Ezra


This most amusing Duck was described by me in the Magazine in

1931, on page 349, when they bred with me, but the young were not

reared. This year early in April I accidentally found a nest on the

island of the small Duck pond in the enclosure. Hearing some hissing,

we looked to see where the sound came from, when we suddenly

found the bird sitting on three eggs and in a very bad temper at being



