OTIS RUFICRISTA.
the base, dark horn coloured towards the point; legs intermediate between
pale straw and wine-yellow; eyes reddish brown.
F orm.—Neck long; body slender; nuchal crest about two inches long,
depressed and formed of fine silky feathers ; wings, when closed, extend
over the first half of the tail; the innermost tertiaries longer than the primary
quill f e a th e r s th e second, third, and forth primaries nearly of equal length;
the first rather shorter. The tail rounded at its extremity ; outer and inner
toes nearly of equal length.
DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Inches. Lines.
from the point of the bill to the Length of the tarsus................ ............ 3 9
tip of the tail............................ 22 of the outer toe........... .......... 0 8
of the tail ..................................... of the middle to e ....... .......... 1 0
of the wings when folded ...........
lOf
of the inner toe........... .......... 0 6
of the bill .....................................
2
The female differs so much from the male, that we shall give a figure and
description of her in a future number.
This species was first discovered in the vicinity of Latakoo, where it arrested our attention
by the peculiarity of its cry, which was intermediate between the harsh k i r k ir kac, of the Otis
A f r a , Lin. and the croak of the O tis V igorsi Smith. Besides the difference in the tone of its
cry, it also uttered its calls less frequently than the former, and, as far as we observed, only
while flying ; thus in the first peculiarity approaching the latter mentioned species, and in the
other differing from both. When disturbed, it flies but a short distance before it alights,
and when that has once happened, it is no easy task to start it a second time, owing to its
habit of squatting among the grass, and remaining tranquil even when almost touched by the
feet of the sportsman. It appeared almost exclusively restricted to grassy plains, and rarely
occurred in districts supplied with brushwood, from which circumstance only one or two specimens
were observed to the north of 25°. Insects, small lizards, scolopendra, &c, seemed to
constitute its favourite food, and besides the remains of these, abundance of small gravel was
also found in the stomachs of the individuals we procured, which were but few, owing to the
specimens being rare, at least in the directions in which we travelled.