638 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
throughout two-thirds of its basal portion. Length, 20’’; wing, 
14’’; tail, 8”. 
Fig. Temm. Pl. Col. 576. 
610. Oris cmrutescens, Vieill. Blue Bustard. 
Eupodotis cerulescens, Layard, B. 8. 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 
O. 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 ‘kuk 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. Pl. Col. 532. 
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