QUERQUEDULA HOTTENTOTA. 
Form, &c. — Figure slender. Head moderately large, deep, strongly arched 
above, and considerably compressed ; neck rather short and slender. Wings 
short, slightly rounded, and when folded reach only to the base of the tail ; 
the first, second, and third feathers longest and almost equal, the fourth 
rather shorter, and the filth rather shorter than the fourth. T. ail rathei long, 
all the feathers pointed. Tarsi short and laterally compressed ; anteriorly 
with a vertical row of small plates, laterally and behind coated with small 
irregular-shaped scales. Bill narrow and throughout nearly of equal width, 
high at base from the projection of the culmen, depressed anteriorly and 
slightly convex. Toes rather long and slender, the webs reaching to the 
claws ; claws slightly curved. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. Lines. 
Length from the point of the bill to the 
base of the tail 10 11 
of the bill to the angle of the 
mouth 1 0 
of the tail 2 10 
of the wings when folded ... 5 8 
Inches. Lines. 
Length of the tarsus 1 0 
of the outer toe 1 
of the middle toe 1 5 
of the inner toe 0 10 J 
of the hinder toe 0 2J 
Female . — The colours generally are lighter and less clear than those of the 
male ; the most striking difference, however, is the absence of a defined 
brilliant speculum to the wings, the portion of the feathers in the female 
being only slightly green. 
The only specimens of this species (two in number) which I have seen, were shot on a large 
lake about one hundred miles to the north-west of Cape Town. It is a shy bird, and readily 
takes to flight ; but it never, so far as I observed, proceeded to any great distance. 
