ANSEEES NETTION 139 



dark ashy, broadly margined with white or fulvous ; below, the 

 white predominating and only the centres of the feathers ashy; 

 primaries and median and lesser coverts of the wings ashy-brown ; 

 anterior secondaries pure white ; a metallic green and purple 

 speculum formed by the outer webs of the middle secondaries 

 bounded broadly above and narrowly below by a velvety black band 

 and towards the top of the wing by the broad white tips of the 

 greater coverts. 



Iris yellow ; bill crimson, base and edge of the upper mandible 

 black ; feet dirty yellow. Length 18"5 ; wing 8'5 ; tail 2-75 ; 

 culmen 1-5 ; tarsus 1'25. The sexes are alike. 



Distribution. — The Cape Widgeon, though known from the 

 earliest period of systematic zoology, appears to be everywhere a 

 scarce bird and to have been but seldom met with ; its range extends 

 from Cape Colony northwards through Nyasaland and Uganda to 

 Shoa. In South Africa it has not been hitherto met with in the 

 eastern portion of the Colony, Natal or Ehodesia. 



The following are recorded localities : — Cape Colony— Cape 

 division, Knysna, Vogel vlei in Paarl division, Beaufort West 

 (Layard), near Simons Town (Novara Expedition), Orange River 

 near Aliwal North, May (Whitehead) ; Transvaal — August (Ayres) ; 

 Bechuanaland — Botletli Eiver (Bryden) ; German South-west 

 Africa, scarce generally but common at Walvisch Bay (Andersson), 

 Eeheboth, December (Fleck). 



Habits. —Nothing appears to be known about the habits of this 

 species ; it is probably frequently confused with the " Smee Eendje 

 or Eed-bill, which it resembles in the colour of its bill, but from which 

 it can be distinguished at a glance by its metallic-green speculum 

 and by its spotted cheeks. 



Mr. Layard found a nest containing one egg, probably belonging 

 to this species, at Vogel vlei in the Paarl division. The egg was 

 a dirty greenish- white throughout and measured 1'80 X 15. 



622. Nettion punctatum. Hottentot Teal. 



Anas punctata, Burchell, Travels, i, p. 283 (1822) ; Newton, P. Z. S. 

 1871, p. 649 ; Beichenoio, Vdg. Afr. i, p. 120 (1900). 



Querquedula hottentota. Smith, Cat. S. A. Mus. p. 37 (1837) ; id. Illustr. 

 Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 105 (1845) ; Gumey, This, 1862, p. 154, 1868, 

 pp. 262, 471 [Natal and Potchefstroom] ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 353 

 (1867) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1880, p. 273 ; Butler, Feilden amd Beid, Zool. 

 1882, p. 427 ; Shariie, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 757 (1884) ; Nicolls 



