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J. Delacour—Notes on Waterfowl



in the world being rather indifferent and often made up of local

species ; such is unfortunately the case in the London and Paris

Zoos, mostly owing to lack of suitable room. The lakes in St. James’

Park and Kew Gardens have nice collections.


At Cleres, I have for many years kept some hundreds of Waterfowl,

and now I am lucky enough to possess nearly 120 species of these

fine birds, although I do not keep the very common and bulky sorts,

such as the Mute, Whooper, and other large Swans, Canadian, White-

fronted, Greylag, Bean, Pink-footed, and Spurwinged Geese.


I have often written about my Waterfowl, their accommodation,

and our breeding results in this Magazine. To-day, I want to say a

few words on the rarer or newly introduced species. During the last

ten or twelve years, quite a number of interesting species, which we

had very seldom or never seen in captivity before, have been imported

and many of these bred and established. Birds which had for years

been greatly desired are now numerous on our waters. I cannot help

thinking that if our late president, Hubert Astley, whose bright

intelligence and keenness were for many years the spirit of our Society,

could come back to life, after eleven years, he would hardly believe

what he would see. So many hours had we spent together looking

at plates or skins of birds and making plans to obtain them some

day, without much hope that we could ever succeed ! Waterfowl,

of which both of us were very fond, often called our attention.


Among the Mallards, three species have now been well established :

the Japanese Spotbill ( Anas zonorhyncha), which also inhabits China ;

Meller’s Duck (A. melleri), from Madagascar, and the Florida Duck

(A. fulvigula). The first-named is quite handsome, and let us say

here, not very closely related to the long-introduced Indian Spotbill

(A. poecilorhyncha) being nearer to the Australian A. superciliosa,

I believe. The other two are not very bright in plumage. But all

three are interesting and decidedly useful acquisitions, as they breed

abundantly and are very good stayers in a full-winged condition.

They prove most suitable to stock waters for shooting ; their flesh

is excellent eating.


Some years ago I possessed a female of the very rare Madagascar

Bernier’s Teal (A. bernieri), very much a smaller, lighter, and redder



