126 THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



to another after heavy rains. It may be met with all over South 

 Africa in certain seasons of the year, but is everywhere exceedingly 

 scarce, even in that home of water fowl. Lake 'Ngami. 



The Masked Duck [Dendrocygna vidtiata). 



[^Same size as the Crimson-billed Teal. Bill black ; fore half of 

 head spotless white ; back of head and neck black ; wings dark 

 brown ; the feathers of back a lighter shade, each one being edged 

 with pale yellow ; upper portion of breast uniform reddish brown; 

 sides marked with alternate transverse streaks of brown and yellowish 

 white.'\ 



This pretty Duck is unkown in the Cape Colony, but is said to be an 

 occasional visitor to Natal and the Transvaal. It is often met with 

 on some of the large pans of the Bechuanaland Protectorate, but 

 does not breed there. On the Zambesi, Chobe, Botletle, and 

 Okavango Rivers, and on Lake 'Ngami, it is quite common, and 

 may be seen in flocks up to a hundred flying in the form of a V. 

 At Moremi's old station at the South-eastern corner of Lake 'Ngami 

 they pass up and down in enormous quantities, the flights taking 

 place just at and for a short time after sundown, their approach 

 being heralded with shrill whistles. Like the Knob-billed Duck, this 

 species may be observed perched on trees. The flesh is delicious. 



The Crimson-billed Teal [Poicilonetta erythrorhyncha). Fig. 

 62, Plate XIL— (F/ejv Duck of the Colonists.) 



\_Length about 18 inches. Top of head umber brown; cheeks 

 dirty white ; outer edges of bill crimson ; neck minutely mottled 

 with brown and white ; back, shoulders of wings and quills, dark 

 brown, each feather of the back fringed with pale yellowish pink ; 

 two bars of pink on the wing, the one broad and the other narrow, 

 divided by a narrow green one; breast and belly brown and dirty 

 white.] 



In Bechuanaland, the Transvaal, Mashonaland, and Damaraland, this 

 Teal is quite the commonest met with, and breeds on almost every 

 favourable pan in these countries, usually preferring those which are 

 shallow and overgrown with grass. It does not appear to breed in 

 the Cape Colony or ;Natal, but may occasionally be met with after 

 heavy rains. The nests are generally found floating on the water in 



