throughout two-thirds of its basal portion. Length, 20"; wing,
14"; tail, 8".
Fig. Temm. PL Col. 576.
610. O t is o®rulescens , Vieill. Blue Bustard.
Eupodotis ccerulescens, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 285.
This beautiful bird, the Blue Knorhaan of the colonists, is locally
distributed. We have received it from Riversdale, and from the
neighbourhood of Hanover, and have been told that it is plentiful on
the eastern frontier in certain favoured spots. Mr. Windham sends
it to us from the Free State.
Mr. T. E. Buckley found it common throughout the high country
of the Transvaal, but not met with in the bush. This bird, he says,
goes in small families, three or four being found together; but, from
their habit of running, they rarely all rise on the wing together.
From Natal Mr. Ayres writes :—“ These Bustards are found more
along the banks of streams and valleys than is the case with
0. afroides ; but they are also often found amongst stony hills. They
are also less noisy than that species, and, I think, also more difficult
to approach, being seldom seen till flushed." The late Mr. Frank
Oates procured a male bird near Sunday’s River in May, and Capt.
Reid also met with it in the same locality. It was found by him
and Majors Butler and Feilden to be the commonest Bustard from
Ladysmith and Newcastle. After describing the best way of stalking
these birds by walking round them in a gradually lessening circle,
Major Butler adds :—“ When they get up they utter a harsh note,
resembling the words fkuk pa-wow,’ repeating the call several
times as they fly away.”
Upper parts, ferruginous, minutely mottled with dark brown and
black; less on the wings, the quills of which are black, in some
places edged with blue ; the ends of the tail-feathers are also black;
top of head, black, and lower portion of front of neck, breast, belly,
and vent, blue; forehead, eyebrow, spot under the eye, and upper
part of throat, black; a white patch arising on the chin extends
backwards to the hinder part of the head; a similar but smaller
patch extends from the forehead, and joins it over the ears; “ iris
dusky, with the outer wing tawny; bill dusky, but pale at the base;
tarsi and feet yellow ” (Ayres). Length, 20"; wing, 13"; tail, 7".
Fig. Temm. PI. Col. 532.
611. Ons sen eg a l en s is , Vieill. Senegal Bustard.
Eupodotis senegalensis, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 285.
Several pairs of this handsome Bastard were procured in the
Free State by Mr. Arnot, and in Natal Mr. Ayres says that, the
species is found in similar situations to 0. afroides and 0. ccerulescens.
He has found it breeding in the Transvaal, where it lays
two eggs, which are generally placed in the open country under
shelter of some high tufts of grass. The eggs of different individuals
appear to vary much in shading and blotching. Dr. Exton procured
it at Kanye in the Matabele country.
General colour above, bright rufous, variegated with black; tail
barred with four cross bars, that near the point being the broadest;
top of head black in the male, rufous in the female, minutely
mottled, and changing into light ash-colour at the back; cheeks and
chin, white; throat, and crescent-shaped mark at back of head,
jet-black; lower part of throat and breast rufous, with here and
there a bluish tinge; large wing-feathers black, the rest bright
rufous; under parts white. Length, 16" or 17"; wing, 104";
tail, 5".
On the variation of plumage in this species, see Mr. Gurney’s
remarks (Ibis, 1880, p. 266).
The soft parts in the male are given by Mr. Ayres as follows :—
“ Irides pale tawny, gradually passing into dusky amber round the
pupils; bill yellowish pale colour, with the ridge dusky; tarsi and
feet dingy yellowish white.”
612. O t is ru fio rista , Smith. Red-crested Bustard.
Eupodotis ruficrista, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 286.
Sir Andrew Smith procured this beautiful Bustard between
Latakoo and the Tropic, but it seldom occurs within the colony; it
is found beyond the Orange River. Mr. Chapman obtained it as
far as the Great Lake. Messrs. Arnot and Ortlepp have forwarded
it from Colesberg. Dr. Exton procured it at Kanye, and writes :—
“ The colour of the crest in the recent specimen is as if stained
with port wine, which fades after death. The fine down at the base
of the feathers, as well as the skin itself, have also the dark stained
appearance.”
Mr. T. E. Buckley states that he found it common from the north