BLUE KNORHAAN 



in her breast, but a few hours later she crept on to the edge 

 of my wife's dress and contentedly sat down and died. 



I kept the male bird some eight months longer, but 

 when I went on leave to England I left him in the Pretoria 

 " Zoo," where he had for company a Barrow's Knorhaan 

 {0. harrovii). Just before I returned he got badly mauled 

 by a Common Heron that shared his big aviary, and I regret 

 to say he lived but a little time after I got him back. 



I fed my birds on lean, cooked, chopped meat, lettuce, 

 bread and milk, Quaker oats soaked in water, on locusts 

 when they were about, on chopped lizards (the tails were 

 found most acceptable) ; and once, when I was drowning 

 some mice in the Knorhaan run, the cock bird ate three 

 little ones in quick succession and seemed to appreciate them 

 very much. In a wild state I am certain that these birds 

 eat practically no grain at all, but live on locusts, grass- 

 hoppers, etc., and any odd insects they come across. 



I am told Blue Knorhaan are good-eating, but having 

 had the tame birds I could never reconcile myself to the idea 

 of tasting the wild ones. 



Eggs have been found by my friend Major Sparrow both 

 in December and in August in the Orange River Ck)lony. 

 In each case there were two, pale brown in colour, with a 

 greenish tinge and darker streaks on them. They measured 

 about 2.4 by 1.6 in. 



13 



