362 D. Seth-Smith—The Breeding of the Spurwing Goose



disturbed. The nest was a very high one, and the birds kept adding

to it each time we saw it. Two of the three eggs were hatched out, but

one of the young was found dead just outside the nest. The other

one was swimming along gaily with its parents and was the funniest

little thing I have ever seen. As soon as it saw any of us it dived

and kept under water for quite a long time. The parents took great

care of the baby, swimming on either side of it, and no other Duck

on the pond was allowed to get anywhere near it. The birds were given

plenty of duck weed and gentles, and in a few days the young one

was tame enough to come and feed with the parents. By the middle

of June it was impossible to know the young one from its parents.

The old birds are sitting again, and I hope some more young will be

reared. I am delighted at my success in rearing this amusing little

Duck, especially as my pond is hardly a suitable one for breeding rare

Duck, being very small and overcrowded by several species of Duck.

As far as I know, this bird has never been bred in captivity before.


12th July. This morning five beautiful young ones were seen on

the pond, being well guarded by the parents.



THE BREEDING OF THE SPURWING GOOSE


The African Spurwing Goose (Plectmpterus gambensis) is a large

and handsome species with metallic black and white plumage, pink

feet, and spurs on the wings. It is not often kept in collections of

waterfowl because it is spiteful towards other birds unless allowed

plenty of liberty. In the London Zoological Gardens it has been

somewhat out of place and generally regarded as rather a nuisance, and

no attempt has it ever made to reproduce its species. In fact, no

records of its breeding in captivity seem to exist, though it has produced

hybrids with the Egyptian Goose and the Upland Goose. An example

of the latter hybrid was bred in the Clifton Zoo a few years ago and,

I believe, is still there.


As the accommodation at the London Gardens was too limited for

these large birds a pair that had lived there for a number of years was

transferred to Whipsnade when the Zoological Park there was formed



