GEESE AND DUCKS 151 



Ducks. General colour ashy-brown, mottled with white ; 

 a speculum of metallic-blue or green on the wing margined 

 by black. Bill yellow with a black central streak on the 

 culrnen. 



This bird was fairly plentiful on the Modderfontein 

 dams during August, 1907. 



The Black Duck (Anas spar so) is almost black in 

 colour, speckled with grey on the head and neck ; the 

 metallic speculum is surrounded by a black band, which 

 is bordered in front and behind by a white stripe. 



Mr. Taylor found this bird breeding under a tuft of 

 rushes on a little island at Irene (dist. Pretoria), in July, 

 1905 ; the nest contained eleven eggs. 



The Cape Widgeon (Anas capensis) is often confused 

 with the Red-billed Teal, but can be distinguished by its 

 green speculum. 



The Bed-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha) is called the 

 Smee-eendje by the Dutch. It is brown above, the 

 feathers of the back being edged with pale salmon-pink ; 

 below white, nearly every feather with a half-round spot 

 of ashy-black near the tip ; bill pink with a brown stripe 

 down the centre of the mandible. 



It nests amongst the reeds and rushes on the bank 

 of a river or vlei, or even on the weeds growing in the 

 water. The eggs have been described as greenish- 

 white, and also creamy-brown. As we have never been 

 fortunate enough to take the eggs ourselves, we cannot 

 say which is correct. 



The European Shoveller has been recorded from South 

 Africa by W. G. Fairbridge, of Cape Town. 



