292 OTID^B OTIS 



Ayres states that in addition to the ordinary note, this bird some- 

 times whistles a short song which might be taken for that of some 

 small bush-bird, such as a Shrike or Thrush. Its food consists of 

 insects, especially beetles and termites. Millais came across this 

 bird very frequently, and gives a beautiful full page figure of it in 

 his well known work above quoted ; he found it solitary and shy in 

 disposition, creeping away and concealing itself at the appearance 

 of danger ; he also states that it is remarkably silent. One of his 

 figures gives a representation of a singular habit he noticed in 

 regard to this bird ; every evening towards sunset it rises from the 

 grass, and mounting perpendicularly into the air to a height of from 

 100 to 200 feet it closes its wings and drops head first to the earth, 

 only opening its wings to break its fall when within a few feet of 

 the ground. 



Ayres found a nest of this bird on November 14th near Bula- 

 wayo when accompanying Mr. J. S. Jameson on his expedition. 

 The eggs, two in number, were laid on the ground, and partially 

 hidden by a tuft of grass, and were much incubated. They were 

 shaped like Plover's eggs, being much pointed at one end. In 

 colouring they were greyish creamy-white, much spotted and 

 blotched with dark umber ; they measured 2-25 x 1*5 and 2'0 x l - 5 

 respectively. 





691. Otis afra. Black Knorhaan. 



White-eared Bustard, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii, pt. 2, p. 802 pi. Ixix. (1782). 



Knorrhane, Sparrman, Travels, 8vo, ed. i, p. 162 (1785). 



Otis afra, Gmcl, Syst, Nat. i, p. 724 (1788) ; Holub fr Pelz. Om. Siid- 



Afr. p. 231 (1882) ; Sharpe, ed. LayarcTs B. S. Afr. p. 642 (1884) ; 



Bryden, Kloof and Karoo, p. 320 (1889); Nicolls and Eglington, 



Sportsm. S. Afr. p. 115 (1892) ; Beichenow, Vb'g. Afr. i, p. 256 (1900). 

 Eupodotis afra, Layard, B. S. Aft: p. 286 (1867) ; Gurney, in An- 



dersson's B. Damaral. p. 260 (1872) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 85. 

 Compsotis afra, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiii, p. 293 (1894) ; Gates, Cat. B. 



Eggs, ii, p. 365 (1902). 



Afrotis afra, Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 184 (1896). 



" Knorliaan " (pronounced Koraan, i.e., Scolding Cock) of the Colonists, 

 " Ikala Kalu " of Amaxosa (Stanford). 



Description. Adult Male. Crown of the head ashy-black with 

 a few transverse bars of pale fulvous, surrounded by a more or 

 less distinct bluish-grey band ; ear-coverts white ; rest of the head, 

 neck all round, all the lower surface, axillaries, under wing-coverts, 



