OTIS BARROVII. 



BARROW'S KNORHAAN. 



(Plate 5.) 



Otis barrovii, J. E. Gray in Griffiths An. Kingd. Birds, in, p. 304 

 (1829) ; Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 250 (1900-01) ; Sclater, 

 Ann. S. Afr. Mus., m, p. 356 (1905) ; Sclater & Stark, Birds of 

 S. Afr., IV, p. 307 (1906). 



Otis senegalensis, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 639 (1875-84) ; 

 Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 119 (1892). 



Trachdotis barrotoii, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxttt, p. 311 

 (1894). ... ^, , , , ■' , . 



Description. The birds figured are an adult male and female ; 

 length about 21 in. 



Distribution. I have met with this Bustard near Potchefstroom, 

 Transvaal, and am inclined to think it is commoner than is 

 generally supposed ; it is quite common in upper Natal. 



To tlie casual observer and sportsman Barrow's Knorhaan 

 and Otis coerulescens are generally classed together as " Blue 

 Knorhaan " and doubtless many are thus overlooked. Once, 

 near Potchefstroom, I stopped a Boer who was shooting 

 game for the Johannesburg market and looked through the 

 birds on his waggon. He had eleven of this species and told 

 me he got a good many every week and that they were always 

 sold as Blue Knorhaan. 



Those I shot acted and called in a manner exactly Uke 

 the Blue Knorhaan. 



Apparently this species is as easy to tame as the Blue 

 Knorhaan, as I saw a delightfully friendly old male in the 

 Pretoria Zoological Gardens some years ago. 



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