42 NATURE AND SPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA 



the koorhaans. If those found near the road gave us 

 a fair chance, pretty quickly, we shot them ; if they 

 ran we abandoned them and rode on. Presently 

 we were at the foot of the dark brown kopje of 

 Woodhouse Kraal. Here we off saddled, fastened 

 up our horses, and taking different positions entered 

 the bush, with the object of converging on a pan of 

 water where duck and teal were expected to be 

 lying. 



The scenery we entered upon was charming. 

 There had been recent rains, the veldt grass was 

 springing thick and green beneath our feet, the bush 

 was at its best, and some thorn-trees gave to the 

 glades through which we made our way the appearance 

 of a small park. We were not long in reaching the 

 first pan of water, from which rose at our approach 

 four or five couple of wildfowl. A couple dropped 

 to our first shots, and then in a minute or two, as 

 they came circling round again on whistling pinions, 

 two more fell. Two of the duck fell into the pan — a 

 sheet of water perhaps one hundred yards by sixty ; 

 but as the afternoon was hot and a swim welcome, 

 there was no grumbling, and for lack of a dog we were 

 our own retrievers and spaniels. We had hoped 

 to find spur-winged geese on the pan, but were 

 disappointed. 



Of the two couple of fowl shot here, three proved 

 to be red-billed teal (Anas erythroi-Jiyncha), quite 



