OTIS COERULESCENS. 



BLUE KNORHAAN. 



(Plate 4.) 



Otis coenilescens, Vieillot, Enc. Meth., i, p. 334 (1820) ; Sharpe's ed. 

 Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 638 (1875-84) ; NicoUs & Eglington, 

 Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 118 (1892) ; Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, 

 I, p. 251 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., m, p. 357 (1905) ; 

 Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 305 (1906). 



Trachelotis coerulescens, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxni, p. 308 

 (1894) ; Woodward, Natal Birds, p. 177 (1899). 



Local Names. " Blaauw-Kop Eaiorliaan " — " Dik-Kop Knorhaan " 

 (pronounced Koraan, i.e. scolding cock). 



Description. The bird figured is an adult male ; length about 23 in. 

 The female is sUghtly smaller than the male, which she closely 

 resembles, but has the ear-coverts, sides of the face and eyebrows 

 pale rufous, and the crown is slightly spotted with sandy. 



DiSTRiniTTiON. The Blue Knorhaan is found in Cape Colony, the 

 upper part of Natal, the Orange River Colony, and the 

 southern Transvaal. 



Blue Knorhaan as a rule are found in coveys of four or 

 five on wide sandy plains, and do not seem to care for the 

 heavier grass to which their near relatives the White- 

 quilled Knorhaans {0. afroides) are so partial. 



In April, 1905, I was lucky enough to obtain, in the 

 market at Bloemfontein, a pair of the Blue Knorhaan. 



Neither before nor since have I seen these birds for sale 

 alive, nor have I seen any in captivity, so I conclude that 

 it was an exceptionally lucky chance that brought this latter 

 pair into my keeping. They were then perhaps six weeks 



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