Birds from British East Africa. 529 



tliemselvcs very low in the grass and hoping thus to escape 

 observation : tliey always rise singly and when they get up 

 utter a harsh note, which sounds like " kuk-pa-wow," 

 repeating it several times as they fly away. 



211. LissoTis MELANOGASTER. Black-bcllied Bustard. 

 Lissotis melanogaster Reichen. 



Upper mandible slate-coloured, lower mandible yellowish; 

 legs yellowish-white. 



The Black-bellied Bustard was common from the Athi 

 River across the Kauti Plains to the Thika River, but was 

 not seen at Naivasha or at Kallima Theki. 



212. EupoDOTis KORi. The Kori Bustard or Paauw. 

 Eupodotis hori Burch, 



More oftener seen than shot, the Paauw was always shy . 

 occasionally a well-placed bullet would lay one low. The 

 flesh is very coarse and unpalatable. 



213. OEdicnemus capensis. South-African Thick-knee. 

 (Edicnemus capensis Reicheu. 



Iris yellow; bill black, yellow at base; legs light yellow. 



A fairly common species at Theki, where one day I 

 found a single young one squatting by itself in the middle 

 of the sandy plain : both old birds, which had evidently run 

 ahead, got up about fifty yards away, but though I searched 

 most carefully I could find no traces of the other young 

 ones. 



214. OEdicnemus vermiculatus. Vermiculated Thick-knee. 

 (Edicnemus vermiculatvs Cab. 



Iris yellow ; bill black ; feet pale green. 



215. CuRsoRius chalcopterus. Bronze-winged Courser. 



Cursorius chalcopterus Reichen. 



Iris brown ; bill black ; legs whitish pink. 



Three of these rare Coursers were seen on April 12th 

 near the Gerei River and two were shot. They were the 

 only individuals which I saw. Perhaps later, during the 

 rainy season, they may be commoner. 



