OTIS AFROIDES. 



WHITE-QUILLED KNOEHAAN. 



(Plate 10.) 



Otis afroides, Smith, Zool. S. Afr., iii, p. 19 (1839) ; Sharpe's 

 ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 642 (1875-84) ; NicoUs & Eglington, 

 Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 117 (1892) ; Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, 

 I, p. 254 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., ni, p. 357 (1905) ; 

 Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 294 (1906). 

 /« 



Compsotis Kucoptera, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxm, p. 294 (1894). 



DESCRiPTioiir. The figures represent an adult male and female ; 

 length about 21 in. 



Distribution. The White-quilled Knorhaan is the best known 

 Knorhaan of the Transvaal, Bechuanaland, the Orange River 

 Colony as far west as Damaraland and the northern part of the 

 Karroo. In the Cape Colony its place is taken by the Black 

 Knorhaan (Otis afra). 



This is the common Knorhaan of the Orange River Colony 

 and the Transvaal, and from its conspicuous coloration and 

 noisy habits is one of the best known. 



They are spoken of everywhere in the Transvaal and 

 Orange River Colony as " Knorhaan," and when other species 

 are meant the prefix "Blue" or " Vaal " or "Bush" is 

 supplied. 



Knorhaan like, as a rule, wide, grassy flats, with grass 

 sufficiently long to hide themselves in when their heads 

 are lowered, but I have shot them among scattered thorn- 

 bush at the edge of streams and rivers as well as along the 

 bush patches of the Kalahari. 



I agree with Mr. H. A. Bryden in thinking that the 



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