OTID^ OTIS 305 



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

 erroneous. 



699. Otis cserulescens. Blue Knorhaan. 



Otis cserulescens, Vieill, Enc. Meth. i, p. 334 (1820) ; Temm., PI. Col. 

 V, pi. 532 (1832) ; Sharpe, ed. Latjard's B.. S. Afi: p. 638 (1884) ; W. 

 Ayres, Ibis, 1887, p. 61 ; Nicolls d: Eglington, Sporism. S. 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); Beichenow, 

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



Eupodotis cserulescens, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 285 (1867) ; Qurney, Ibis, 

 1868, p. 48 [Natal] ; BucUey, Ibis, 1874, p. 385 ; Oates, Matabele- 

 land, p. 326 (1881). 



Trachelotis cserulescens, Sharpc, Cat. B. M. xxiii, p. 308 (1894) ; Wood- 

 ivard Bros., Natal Bds. p. 177 (1899) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 15 

 [Deelfontein] . 



Description. 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 3-6. 



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 Eiver Colony and the South of the Transvaal. 



20 VOL. IV. 



