District of Mat at i eh', KasL GrirjindanJ. 27 



young are avoir] evfully clever ut hiding, swimming quietly 

 away among the reeds, tlie head and neck stretched flat along 

 the surface of the water. The latter is also a habit with 

 " winged " adult birds. The note is a rather harsh quack, 

 uttered, I think, usually by the female. They are generally 

 rather tamer than the Yellow-bill, and are quite the best 

 eating of all our duck. 



15. Anas capensis, Gm. Cape Wigeon. 



On the 2nd January, while out shooting on some pans 

 near the village, I came across a single specimen of this Teal, 

 which I was fortunate enough to secure. It was rather wild, 

 but would not leave the pan on which I found it. It re- 

 sembled the common Red-billed Teal in appearance, but when 

 on the wing I was at once struck by the large amount of 

 white showing on the wings. I made careful notes of the 

 colouring of the soft parts at the time while the bird was 

 fresii. The colouring of the bill differed somewhat from the 

 description given by Lt. Littledale in a previous number of 

 the Journal, and was a delicate waxy pink, a patch at base 

 and edges near tip black, there was a slight bluish shade 

 along the culmen and tip. This must be a very rare species 

 here, and I have never heard of one having been shot 

 before. 



16. Anas punctata, Burch. Hottentot Teal. 



Rare. I have only seen one specimen, an adult male ; 

 killed in this district. 



17. Dendrocygna viduata (L.). White-fticed Duck. 



A rare visitor at irregular intervals. I have not met with 

 it, but specimens were procured by Mr. Gould on 25. 5. 03 

 and 2. 4. 05. 



18. Dendrocygna fulva (Gm.). Whistling Duck. 

 Very rare. I saw a single specimen on a large pan about 



20 miles from Matatiele on the 18. 1. 11 ; it was very wild, 

 and although I followed it and put it up several times I could 

 not get a shot at it. I, however, had a good view^ of it, and 

 there can be no mistake ; it also uttered, when flying, its 



