OTIS 305 



presented by Mr. D. W. Mitchell, but the locality is probably 

 erroneous. s 



699. Otis cserulescens. Blue Knorliaan. 



Otis cserulescens, Vieill., Enc. Metli. i, p. 334 (1820) ; Temm., PL Col. 

 v, pi. 532 (1832) ; Sliarpe, ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. p. 638 (1884) ; W. 

 Ay res, Ibis, 1887, p. 61 ; Nicolls $ Eglington, Sportsm. 8. Afr. p. 118, 

 fig. 40 (1892) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 185 (1896) ; Millais, Breath from 

 the Veldt, 2nd ed., p. 49 with plate on p. 51 (1899); Reiclienow, 

 Vog. Afr. i, p. 251 (1900) ; Haagner, Ibis, 1902, p. 574. 



Eupodotis cserulescens, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 285 (1867) ; Gurncy, Ibis, 

 1868, p. 48 [Natal] ; Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 385; Gates, Matabele- 

 land, p. 326 (1881). 



Trachelotis caarulescens, Sliarpc, Cat. B. M. xxiii, p. 308 (1894) ; Wood- 

 ward Bros., Natal Bcls. p. 177 (1899); Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 15 

 [Deelfontein] . 



Desertion. Adult Male. Crown of the head black in front 

 becoming slaty and then slaty-blue, which colour extends down the 

 neck and all round in its lower half on to the breast and under 

 parts; chin, sides of the face, including the eyebrows and the ear- 

 coverts, white with two black streaks below the eye and in the 

 moustachial region ; below the white of the chin is a considerable 

 black patch on the throat ; back, rump and wing finely vermiculated 

 dark brown and sandy-rufous ; on the greater coverts the rufous 

 becomes richer and the brown vermiculation much less ; edge of 

 the wing and primary coverts slaty-blue, the latter blacker towards 

 the tips ; wing-quills black with slaty - blue bases, the latter 

 increasing in extent on the inner primaries and secondaries ; 

 tail-feathers tawny-rufous at the base, black towards the tip, except 

 the central pair which are vermiculated like the back at the tips ; 

 below slaty-blue throughout, under tail-coverts with tawny bases 

 and quill-lining pale slaty. 



Iris dusky, with an outer ring of tawny ; bill dusky, pale at the 

 base ; tarsi and feet yellow. 



Length about 22-5 ; wing 13-25 ; culmen 1-15 ; tarsus 3-5. 



The female closely resembles the male, but the ear-coverts, sides 

 of the face and eyebrows are pale rufous, and the crown is slightly 

 spotted with sandy. Wing 13-0 ; tarsus 3'3. 



Distribution. The Blue Knorhaan appears to be rather a rare 

 bird, sparingly distributed over Cape Colony, the upper portion of 

 Natal, the Orange River Colony and the South of the Transvaal. 

 20 VOL. iv. 



