of Bh-ds from the Colony of Natal. 471 



within a few yards of tne, and vainly trying to catch a glimpse 

 of him, where there was not enough cover, apparently, to hide a 

 rat. Either these birds must possess the power of ventriloquism, 

 or they must remain under water with perhaps just their bills 

 out ; one thing is certain, that they are expert divers. 



QuERQUEDULA HOTTENTOTTA, A. Smith. Hottcntot Teal. 

 (No. 186, Ibis, 1862, p. 154.) 



Tolerably common about the lagoons near Potehefstroom, and 

 found in pairs and small flocks. 



PcEciLONETTA ERYTHROEHYNCHA (Gmel.). Crimsou- billed 

 Duck. (No. 62, Ibis, 1859, p. 251 ; 1862, p. 158.) 



Far outnumbers all other species of Ducks in the Transvaal. 



[I avail myself of the present opportunity to correct an eri'or 

 which unfortunately occurred in my I'emarks on Mr. Layard's 

 'Birds of South Africa.^ I there stated [antea, p. 261), under 

 the head of Rallus aquaticus, that I had seen this species from 

 Damara Land. The example to which I refei'red is in the col- 

 lection of Mr. Tristram, who has since informed me that it is 

 not a specimen of R. aquaticus, but of R. carulescens, Gmel. 

 (No. 629 of Mr. Layard's Catalogue). 



I regret that I have not by me the Rail from Natal, which I 

 formerly described in this journal (Ibis, 1859, p. 249, No. 53) as 

 R. aquaticus; but I cannot help suspecting that a similar error 

 may have occurred as regards that specimen also, and that it may 

 have been in reality an example of R. ccerulescens. I am the 

 more disposed to think that such an error may have occurred, 

 as Mr. Ayres informs me that this last is " common in most of 

 the swamps of the Transvaal, where they swim with great ease 

 and quickness, and may often be seen in the evening passing 

 from one clump of reeds or rushes to another in search of their 

 supper." 



Mr. Layard gives the length of R. ccerulescens as 8 inches. 

 This is less than that of a female sent to me by Mr. Ayres from 

 the Transvaal, which measures 10'25 inches from the tip of the 

 bill to the end of the tail ; and I may also mention that the 

 specimen from Damara Land, in the collection of Mi. Tristram, 

 is nearly 10 inches in length. — J. H. G.] 



