4i0 
WHITE-EARED BUSTARD. 
Otis atra. Linn. Sj/st. Nat. 1. 264. 4. 
L’Outarde d’Afrique. BuJ^. Ois. 2. 54. 
White-eared Bustard. Lath. Gen. Syn. 4. 802. pi. Gq.J", 4.— 
Lath. Syn. Sup, 227* 
This rare species is thus described by Latham, 
who has also given a figure : “ Size of a large 
fowl : length twenty-two inches. The beak yel- 
low, a trifle bent at the end, where it is black : the 
crown of the head is blackish brown, irregularly 
barred with white lines ; on each side of it a white 
line : on the ears a large spot of white : the rest 
of the head, with the forehead, neck, and under 
parts of the body, black : round the lower part of 
the neck behind a band of white, which passes 
forwards to the breast like a collar, but does not 
quite meet before : the upper parts of the body, 
great part of the wings, and tail, are deep blackish 
brown, crossed with irregular streaks of different 
shapes, and of a rufous colour : the outer edges of 
the wing and quills are black ; above these a large 
bed of white, occupying almost the whole length 
of the wing : the secondaries are longer than the 
quills, and hang over and hide them in a state of 
rest : the tail consists of fourteen feathers, is five 
inches in length, and a little rounded ; all the 
feathers marked not unlike those of the back, but 
more inclined to ash-colour, palest at the end ; 
besides which, all but the two middle ones are 
crossed with two bars of black. The lower part of 
the feathers round the middle of the thighs are 
white : the legs are yellow : claws black. The 
female has the head and neck like the back, but 
