GEESE AND DUCKS 251 



speckled with grey on the head and neck ; the metallic 

 speculum is surrounded by a black band, which is bordered 

 in front and behind by a white stripe. Length, 2 feet. 



Mr. Taylor found this bird breeding under a tuft of rushes 

 on a little island at Irene (dist. Pretoria) in July, 1905 ; the 

 nest contained eleven eggs. 



The Cape Widgeon (Anas capensis) is often confused with 

 the Bed- billed Teal, but can be distinguished by its green 

 speculum. 



The Eed-billed Teal (Anas erythroryncha) is called the 

 Smee-eendje. It is brown above, the feathers of the back 

 being edged with pale salmon-pink ; below white, nearly 

 every feather with a half-round spot of ashy- black near 

 the tip ; bill pink with a brown stripe down the centre of 

 the mandible. Length, 18 to 19 inches. 



It nests amongst the reeds and rushes on the bank of a 

 river or vlei, or even on the weeds growing in the water. 

 The eggs have been described as greenish-white, and also 

 creamy-brown. As we have never been fortunate enough 

 to take the eggs ourselves, we cannot say which is correct. 



The European shoveller has been recorded from South 

 Africa by W. G. Fairbridge, of Cape Town. 



The Cape Shoveller (Spatula capensis) is a scarce bird. 

 In addition to the localities given in Stark and Sclater 

 " Birds of South Africa," a male in beautiful plumage was 

 procured by me at Modderfontein, Transvaal, and is now 

 in the Transvaal Museum. 



The South African Pochard (Nyroca capensis) is of a dark 

 brown colour, the male having the centre of the back and 

 upper wing feathers finely speckled with whitish ; a white 

 band on the wing. The female is paler, is without the 



