OTIS AFROIDES. 



white. Bill inclining to yellow, upper mandible largely, and lower scantily 

 tipt with blackish ; legs yellowish ; claws blackish. 



Form. — Figure and general appearance of Otis Afer: head broad and flat 

 above; neck very slender ; wings when folded reach as far as the commence- 

 ment of the last third of the tail ; the second and third primary quill feathers 

 of equal length, and the longest, fourth and fifth of equal length, and rather 

 shorter than the second and third, first and sixth of nearly the same length, 

 and about three quarters of an inch shorter than the second ; some of the 

 tertiaries and the longest primaries of equal length. Tail slightly rounded; 

 thighs denuded of feathers for an inch and a half above the knee joint ; 

 carpal spur rudimentary and obtuse. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines. 



Length from the tip of the bill to the 



point of the tail 19 C 



of the bill from the angle of 



the mouth 1 10 



of the wings when folded ... 11 



Female. — Ground colour of the dorsal plumage ochre-yellow, inclining to 

 ferruginous, and variegated on the head by longitudinal, and on the sub-crest 

 and neck by transverse blackish lines ; back and wings profusely covered 

 with brownish black markings, varying in form and direction* ; upper tail 

 coverts irregularly banded with browaiish black and ochre-yellow ; colours 

 of tail feathers less bright than in the male, the broad bands being of a dull 

 black, and the terminal white obsolete ; white band on the wings and patch 

 on the inner webs of the primaries inconspicuous. Chin cream-yellow 

 speckled with blackish ; patch behind the ears the same ; ear coverts light 

 ochre-yellow faintly streaked with brown ; upper part of breast pale ochre- 

 yellow waved with blackish brown lines, lower part cream-yellow ; abdomen 

 rusty black ; feathers of thighs fringed with white at the tips : upper man- 

 dible dark brown, with sagittal horn-coloured band near the apex ; lower 

 mandible and legs rather paler than in the male. 



When this species and Otis Afer are viewed together, many marked differences are imme- 

 diately discoverable ; but when an actual comparison cannot be instituted, a reference to the 

 wings will under any circumstances enable the naturalist to refer his specimen to its proper 

 species. In Otis Afer tlie quill feathers are entirely black, in Otis Afroides, more than half of 

 each of the primaries is white. The species here figured inhabits the arid plains of the interior, 

 and is never found much to the southward of the Orange River. Its call differs considerably 

 from that of Otis Afer ; but in most of their habits, &c, they closely resemble each other. 

 The food of both is similar, and consists of insects, small snakes, seeds, &c. 



* The colours of the female diiier greatly according to age. 



