98 IBIDID^ 



GEEONTICUS 



Feilden, and licid, Zool. 1882, p 424 ; Sharpe, ed. Laijard's B. S. 

 Afr. p. 738 (1884); id. Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 17 (1898) ; Beichenow, 

 Vog. Afr. i, p. 324 (1901). 

 " Wilde Kalkoen " or " Wild Turkey ' of the Colonists ; " Umewangele " 

 of the Amaxosa (Stanford). 



Description. Adult Male. — General colour throughout metallic 

 dark green, with purplish reflections here and there ; the median 

 coverts of the wing metallic coppery-red, forming a conspicuous 

 wing patch ; feathers of the lower part of the neck elongated and 

 lanceolate, forming a kind of ruff; below metalHc green, but not 

 quite so metallic as on the back. 



Top of the head bright red, bill and legs red of a slightly 

 darker and duller shade ; sides of the face below the eye and 

 neck all round, pale blue; the bare part of the neck extending 

 about a quarter of its total length on the nape, and about half its 

 length in front. 



Fig. 27. — Head of Geronticus calvus. x | 



Length about 310; wing 160; tail 7-5; culmea 5-5; tarsus 

 2-75 ; middle toe and claw 2'6. 



The female resembles the male, but is slightly smaller, wing 

 about 155 ; culmen 50. 



The young bird is very much less metallic, the green being 

 mixed with dusky ; there is no copper patch on the wings ; the top 

 of the head and the neck are thinly covered with greyish feathers, 

 leaving only a small bare blue patch round the eye, and a little red 

 on the fore part of the crown ; the bill and legs appear to be red, as 

 in the adult. 



