. The birds of South Africa. Birds. ANSEKES THALASSOENIS 151 Length 17-0; wing 7'75; tail 20; tarsus 1'25; culmen 1-75. The sexes are alike ; young birds are less oohraceous and more brown on the abdomen. Distribution.—The White-backed Duck is confined to Africa and Madagascar. It ranges from Abyssinia on the east and from Loango on the west, southwards through East Africa and Nyasaland to Cape Colony. Within our limits it is widely spread where suitable conditions exist but it has not yet been met with in Ehodesia or on the Zambesi, though probably to be found there. The following are localit
. The birds of South Africa. Birds. ANSEKES THALASSOENIS 151 Length 17-0; wing 7'75; tail 20; tarsus 1'25; culmen 1-75. The sexes are alike ; young birds are less oohraceous and more brown on the abdomen. Distribution.—The White-backed Duck is confined to Africa and Madagascar. It ranges from Abyssinia on the east and from Loango on the west, southwards through East Africa and Nyasaland to Cape Colony. Within our limits it is widely spread where suitable conditions exist but it has not yet been met with in Ehodesia or on the Zambesi, though probably to be found there. The following are localities :—Cape Colony—Verloren Vlei in Piquetberg, (Smith, type), Cape division (S. A. Mus.), Simonstown (Novara), Port. Pig. 45,—Head of Thalassornis leuconota. x i Elizabeth, rare (Brown), Vaalpens Pan near Mafeking (NicoUs and Bglington); Natal—Clairmont near Durban, breeding November to February (Millar), Newcastle district, September to October, breed- ing (Butler and Feilden); Orange Eiver Colony—Kroonstad, March (Symonds); Transvaal—Potchefstroom rare (Ayres), Pienaars Eiver Bridge in Pretoria district, April (Penther), Modderfontein, breeding, April (Haagner); Bechuanaland—Tebra county, February (S. A. Mus.), Nocana, July (Fleck), BotletU Eiver (Bryden) ; German South-west Africa—generally scarce, but common at Oman- bondeand Ondonga (Andersson). Habits.—This Duck is found on lagoons and about the mouths of rivers and also inland on the larger pans and rivers, as a rule singly or in pairs. It seldom flies, but nearly always dives into shelter when disturbed. Most observers say that it has almost lost the power of flight and is only able to skim along the surface of the water, but Ayres states that it rises easily and flies well. The flesh is very oily and unpalatable,. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfec
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherl, booksubjectbirds
