Pr 
754 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
727. PacILONETTA ERYTHRORHYNCHA, Gm. Red-billed Teal. 
Anas erythrorhyncha, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 351. 
The ‘‘ Smee-Hendtje ”* is common and very generally distributed. 
It is usually found in little flocks of six or eight individuals, 
frequenting tanks and rivers. It breeds among rushes, forming a 
large flat nest of sedge, and lays from six to ten eggs, similar in 
colour and size to that of the Al. capensis. 
To Kingwilliamstown, Captain Trevelyan informs us, it comes 
down in fair numbers after heavy rains. In the Newcastle district 
of Natal Majors Butler and Feilden and Captain Reid state that it 
“is not so numerous as A. wanthorhyncha, but is a well-known Duck, 
frequently met with in small flocks in all the ‘ vleys,’ and excellent 
eating. The sexes differ so much in size that we were inclined at 
first to think there were two species.” Mr. Ayres has also found 
them in Natal, inhabiting the lagoons, but not very common. In 
the Transvaal he says it far outnumbers all the other species of 
Duck. Mr. Frank Oates met with it at Mopani Pan, near the 
Ramaqueban River, in March, and again in November. He was 
informed that it was the common small Duck of the locality. 
Mr. Andersson observes: ‘This is the commonest Duck in 
Damara and Great Namaqua Land, where it is found throughout 
the year; and it also abounds on most of the waters to the north- 
ward. I met with several of its nests in Ondonga in the months of 
February and March; the largest number of eggs contained in any 
of the nests was ten. This species is usually observed in flocks, 
and, where not previously disturbed, is not very shy or difficult 
to obtain.” Senor Anchieta has procured it plentifully on the 
coast of Mossamedes and on the Coroca River, where it is called 
“ Deleca.” 
Upper parts brown, tinged faintly with green, each feather 
margined with pale pinkish ; below brown, each feather so broadly 
margined with white as to cause that colour to predominate; head 
and neck dark brown, the latter minutely mottled with dirty white ; 
chin, and lower parts of the cheeks below the eye, white ; on the 
wings a broad bar of pink, crossed at the upper side by a narrow 
* “Mr. Fellowes tells me that Widgeon are called “ Smees” in some parts of 
Norfolk,—evidently derived frem the old Dutch name.”—£. L. LZ. 
