26 Mr. C. G. Davies on the Birds of the 



nine hard-set eggs ; it was a hollow lined with grass, near a 

 small vley. The duck sat very close, almost letting me catch 

 her before leaving the nest. A curious thing about the males 

 is the colour o£ the eyes ; they are usually described as red, 

 but, with the exception of one bird, all I have met with were 

 yellow : the one exception was a bird which was alive when 

 picked up ; in this specimen the eyes were a brilliant red, but 

 on my return home I found that they had changed to the 

 usual yellow colour. There was no sufiusion of blood to 

 account for the red colour, as the bird was not hit in the 

 head. 



11. Spatula capensis ([A. Sm.] Eyt.). Cape Shoveller. 

 Rather a scarce species. Several have been shot from 



time to time, but I have personally only met with one pair. 



12. Anas undulata, Dubois. Yellow-billed Duck. 



The commonest duck in the district, occurring often in 

 very large flocks, except wdien breeding, when they are 

 usually found in pairs. The notes of the sexes differ a gootl 

 deal, that of the male resembling that of the English Mallai-tl, 

 while that of the female is a loud quack like that of the 

 female Mallard : there is also a difference in colouring, the 

 male, as well as being much larger, has all the markings 

 much more distinct than those of the female ; those on the 

 breast are more circular and scale-like, these markings in 

 the females and young birds being more longitudinal. 

 During the breeding-season I have often seen the drakes 

 pursuing the ducks in the air, sometimes circling round to 

 a great height, the female turning and dodging in cNcry 

 direction and (juacking loudly. 



13. Anas sparsa, [A. Sm.] Eyt. Black Duck. 



Found in small numbers on all the rivers, seldom visiting 

 the vleys, except when, after heavy rains, the rivers become 

 flooded. 



14. Anas ervtiikoriivncha. Red-billed Teal. 



Next to the Yellow-bill this is our commonest duck, usually 

 seen in small flocks. It breeds on most of the vleys. The 



