ANSERES ANAS 135 



perhaps in German South-west Africa and along the Natal sea 

 board. It appears to be partially migratory, its movements depend- 

 ing on rainfall. Beyond our limits its range extends as far only as 

 Angola on the west, but through Nyasaland and Central Africa 

 as far as Abyssinia on the east. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony Cape 

 and Mossel Bay division (S. A. Mus.), Vogel vlei in Paarl, 

 Zoetendal's vlei in Bredasdorp, breeding (Layard and S. A. Mus.), 

 Port Elizabeth, fairly common (Brown), East London, rare (Wood), 

 King Williams Town (Trevelyan), St. John's Eiver, April (Short- 

 ridge), near Taungs (Holub) ; Natal Mooi Eiver, May and Novem- 



FIG. 41. Head of Anas undulata. x i 



ber (Buckley and Ayres), Weenen and Maritzburg (Woodward), 

 Newcastle district (Butler) ; Orange Kiver Colony Khenoster 

 Kiver (Ayres), Vredefort Road station (B. Hamilton), Vlakfontein 

 in Harrismith district, breeding April (Sparrow), Basutoland very 

 common (Murray) ; Transvaa^ near Pretoria, June (Gates), 

 Potchefstroom, July, August (Ayres) ; Bechuan aland Lake 

 Ngarni and Botletli Eiver (Andersson), Nocana on the Okavango, 

 July (Fleck) ; Ehodesia Upper Zambesi (Holub), Mashonaland, 

 not common (Marshall). 



Habits. The Geelbec keeps as a rule to marshes, lakes and 

 stagnant water, and avoids running streams ; it is usually found 

 in pairs, though sometimes in larger numbers. Layard states that 

 it is very shy and wary, but other observers have found it the 

 reverse in this respect ; probably this depends on the amount of 

 molestation to which it is subjected. Its food consists of grass, 

 seeds and vegetable matter, and like other Ducks, it moults its wing 

 feathers all at once during the winter time, and is then careful to 

 remain sheltered in thick cover. 



