TETRAPTERYX 281 



Genus II. TETRAPTERYX. 



Type. 

 Tetrapteryx, Thunb., K. Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockh. 



1818, p. 242 T. paradisea. 



Bill long and pointed, but not so long as in Bugeranus, about 

 equal to the middle toe and claw ; nostrils linear ovals ; the whole 

 of the head including the fore part of the cheeks feathered, the ear- 

 coverts and nape with a thick dense mass of decomposed plumes ; 

 feathers at the base of the neck and also the inner secondaries 

 lanceolate and elongated, the latter extending considerably beyond 

 the end of the tail feathers ; tail, legs and feet as in Bug er anus. 



This genus contains only one species confined to South Africa. 



688. Tetrapteryx paradisea. Blue Crane. 



Ardea paradisea, Licht., Cat. Her. Bariss. Hamb. p. 28 (1793). 



Anthropoides stanleyanus, Vigors, Zool. Journ. ii, p. 234, pi. 8 (1826) ; 

 Layard, B. S. Aft: p. 303 (1867) ; id. Ibis, 1869, p. 376 ; Ay res, Ibis, 

 1869, p. 300, 1871, p. 269 ; Barratt, Ibis, 1876, pp. 191, 209. 



Grus paradisea, Grill, K. Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockh. ii, no. 10, p. 54 

 (1858) ; Finsch & Hartl, Vog. Ost-Afr. p. 671 (1870) ; Tegetmeier, 

 ed. Blyth's Monogr. Cranes, p. 23, pi. i, fig. 1, (1881); Shelley, Ibis, 

 1882, p. 363 [Mashonaland] ; Butler, Feilden and Eeid, Zool. 1882, 

 p. 342 ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 186 (1896). 



Anthropoides paradisea, Sliarpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 628 (1884) ; 

 Reichenoiv, Vog. Afr. i, p. 263 (1900). 



Tetrapteryx paradisea, Gurney, in Andersson's B. Damaral. p. 278 

 (1872) ; Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 389 ; Holub fr Pelz., Orn. Siid-Afr. 

 p. 248 (1882) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiii, p. 268 (1894) ; Woodward 

 Bros., Natal B. p. 174 (1899) ; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 263 ; Harris, 

 Essays and Photos., p. 138 (1901) ; Oates, Cat. B. Eggs, ii, pp. 

 95, 370 (1902) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 16 [Deelfontein] . 



" Stanley Crane " of some authors ; " Indwe " of Amaxosa (Stanford). 



Description. Adult Male. General colour above and below 

 pearly-grey, becoming a little darker about the back of the head 

 and top of the neck where the feathers are thick, dense and 

 decomposed ; crown of the head quite white, the feathers at the 

 base of the neck elongated, and attenuated and pendant over the 

 breast ; primary quills and their coverts slaty-grey, darker than 

 the back ; secondaries, especially the innermost, elongate and 

 extending far beyond the tail ; these become quite black towards 

 the tip ; tail short and darkening to almost black towards the tip. 



