head ornamented with a curious tuft of wiry bristles, radiating from
an elongated centre, each bristle about 3 f' long, flat, and twisted
throughout its entire length, one side being white, the other yellow,
thus causing the bristle to appear ringed with white and yellow; tip
black ; beneath and behind the eye, and below the back of the chin,
a bare red spot; outer feathers of wing white, the inner red; and
covering them, when the wing is closed, are some elongated, decomposed
yellow plumes; tail black; under parts leaden grey. Length,
3' 8"; wing, 1' 9"; tail, 1".
Fig. Gray, Knowsl. Menag. pi. 18.
Fam. OTIDiE.
606. O tis K ob i, Burch. Kori Bustard.
Eupodotis Kori, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 283.
The “ Gom-Paauw ” is pretty generally distributed in favourable
localities, open plains dotted with mimosa jungle in the northern
and eastern parts of the colony. It is a noble bird, and when seen
stalking about in its proper haunts, affords a sight to a hunter’s eyes
never to be forgotten. It is migatory, as are all our Otidce, and is
more plentiful in some years than others; their numbers depending
on the drought of the Interior, whence they come. In habits and
food it resembles the rest; but it is never found far from the mimosa
jungle that skirts the rivers. I t can swallow a lizard or snake of
considerable size; and a female shot by our late friend Mr. A. V.
Jackson and ourselves disgorged the largest chameleon we had ever
seen; besides this, its crop contained a mass of locusts, small insects,
&c. His brother, Mr. Henry Jackson, sent us the first egg of this
species which we had ever seen: it measured—axis, 3"4'"; diam.,
2* 5'"’ 14 was of a Pale fawn-colour, unevenly spotted and blotched
with brown and faint purple markings of various sizes and shapes,
chiefly at the obtuse end. He tells us that they lay two eggs, but
Mr. Kotze says that at the Berg Biver they only lay one. This
Bustard is called at Saldanha Bay “ Huive Paauw.”
Capt. Trevelyan tells us, that on the Pish River he has known of one
of these Bustards being killed which weighed 42 lb. Mr. Ayres states
that although he has often heard of “ 40 lb. Bustards” being shot,
he never saw one of anything like this weight, and a male he sent to
England, with the throat pouch developed, and therefore an adult
bird, only weighed 16 lb. On the other hand the late Mr. E. 0.
Buxton informed Mr. Gurney that one shot by him, near the
Lambomba mountains, weighed “ nearly 40 lb.” Majors Butler and
Feilden and Capt. Reid state that it is common in the more open
country, between the Buffalo and the Drakensberg, but not obtained
in the vicinity of Newcastle, where its place is taken by 0. ludwigii.
Several were found in the Leo Kop district and on the Buffalo Plats.
Reid found them plentiful in the former district, and they undoubtedly
breed there, as well as between the Ingagane and Dundee.
Mr. T. Ayres writes :—“ This splendid bird is not uncommon in
the Transvaal, living principally amongst the scattered mimosa bush ;
it is exceedingly fond of the gum which exudes from the mimosa,
and which much resembles gum-arabic, on which account it has
received from the Dutch inhabitants the name of ‘ Gum-Paauw.’ I
never saw more than three of these birds together, and they are
generally found singly, though sometimes in pairs. The flesh of this
species is too coarse and oily to be good eating. Two fine eggs of
this Bustard were brought me by a Kafir, from whose description I
identified them. He stated that no nest whatever was formed, but
the eggs laid on the bare open ground on a stron g ridge.” The late
Mr. Frank Oates procured a specimen near the Palatswe River in
May, 1874, and it was observed in Mashoona Land in June, during
Mr. Jameson’s expedition. Mr. Andersson gives the following notes
on this B u s t a r d “ It is found throughout the year in Damara and
Great Namaqua Land, and is common as far as Ondonga, but is
partially migratory. Personally I have never seen one beyond
30 lb.; but I have been assured on good authority that in some
parts of the Free States and the Transvaal districts individuals are
sometimes shot weighing from 60 to 70 lb. The spread of the
wings is 8 ft. 4 in. The flesh is excellent eating. This Bustard
is usually found in pairs; but sometimes three or four are to be
found together. Its flight is heavy, but nevertheless very rapid;
and at night, when changing its feeding-ground, it may be seen
flying at a very great height. It feeds on insects, berries, &c., and
is partial to the sweet gummy exudations of the low mimosa thorn
so plentiful in Damara Land.”
Senor Anchieta has obtained two specimens at Humbe on the
Cunene River, where it is called Eitua by the natives.