OTID^ OTIS ■ 309 



p. 74 (1892) ; Nioolls and Eglington, Sportsm. 8. Afr. p. 112 (1892) ; 



Bryden, Oun and Camera, pp. 468, 478 (1893) ; Fleck, Journ. OrnitJi. 



1894, pp. 368, 384; KirMj, Haunts Wild Game, p. 560 (1896); 



Bendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 175; Woodward Bros., Ibis, 1897, p. 418; 



Beichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 242 (1900) ; Haagner, Ibis, 1902, p. 574. 

 Eupodotis oristata, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 283 (1867) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1869, 



p. 298, 1877, p. 346. 

 Eupodotis kori, Gurney, in Andersson's B. Damaral. p. 258 (1872) ; 



Bucl-hy, Ibis, 1876, p. 133; Holub A Peheln, Dm. Sud-Afr. p. 234- 



(1882) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 861 [Mashonaland] ; Sharpe, Cat. B. 



M. xxiii, p. 324 (1894) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 186 (1896) ; Woodward 



Bros., Natal B. p. 178 (1899); Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 264; Gates, 



Cat. B. Eggs, ii, p. 367 (1902). 

 "Gom-Paauw" {i.e.. Gum Peacock, because it feeds on Mimosa gum) 



of the Colonists ; " Isemi " of Kaffirs generally ; " Kori" of Bechuanas 



(Burchell). 



Description. Adult Male. — The largest of all the South African 

 Bustards. Crown of the head black, the feathers elongate and 

 lanceolate, forming a conspicuous crest, a slightly paler line down 

 the centre ; sides of the head, including the eyebrow, ear-coverts, 

 and a few of the longer crest-feathers and neck all round extending 

 on to the upper breast, white with narrow transverse bands ; all 

 the feathers round the neck are long, loose and decomposed ; back 

 and wings very dark brown, with the usual pale sandy vermicula- 

 tions ; median and greater coverts white mottled with black and 

 grey, with a broad black subterminal bar before the white tip ; 

 quills dark brown, the inner ones with a good deal of white on the 

 inner web, and the outer secondaries tipped with white as well ; 

 tail-feathers with brown bases and four narrow brown transverse 

 bands ; the intermediate spaces being either white, or white freckled 

 with dark brown ; below, across the breast, a transverse band of 

 dark brown more or less complete; rest of the lower surface, 

 including axillaries and under wing-coverts white. 



Iris lemon-yellow, paler towards the centre; bill hght horn; 

 feet light yellowish. 



Length about 57-0 ; wing 31-0 ; tail 13-6 ; culmen 4-0 ; tarsus 7-9 ; 

 spread of wings 8 feet 4 inches ; weight 30 lbs. (Andersson and S. A. 

 Mus.), 40 lbs. (Buxton according to Gurney), 42 lbs. (Trevelyan). 



The female resembles the male, but is much smaller; length 

 about 44-0; wing 23-5 ; tarsus 6-35. 



Distribution. — This large Bustard, though nowhere common, is 

 generally distributed all over South Africa ; beyond our limits its 



