288 NOVITATES ZOOLOOIOAE XXIV. 1917. 



the other forms by the large longitudinal ochraceous patch on the throat, which 

 is surrounded by a (more or less incomplete) line of black spots, and there is a 

 strong ochraceous tinge on the chest. 



The rest of British India, from Sindh, the Punjab and Rajputana eastwards 

 to about the 88th degree of longitude, is inhabited by a very similar form, but 

 the middle of the throat is not ochraceous but creamy white, and there is no or 

 very httle ochraceous tinge on the chest. This form has no name — it is figured 

 in Gray and Hardwicke's III. 1ml. Zool. as Perdix orientalis, but that name is 

 antedated by Perdix orientalis of Horsfield, and I name it therefore : 



Francolinus pondicerianus interpositus subsp. nov. 



Type: <J June 1870, Oudh. (Tring Museum.) 



A third form inhabits South Persia, Southern Afghanistan, and Baluchistan, 

 and there is a skin from Muscat in the British Museum. This form is hke F. 

 pondicerianus interpositus in the colour of the throat and chest, but the upperside 

 is very much paler, much more greyish. It has been well described as: 



Francolinus pondicerianus mecianensis 



by Zarudny and Harms, Orn. Mormtsher. 1913, p. 53, the type being from Persian 

 Baluchistan. 



We have thus : 



F. pondicerianus pondicerianus (Gm.), South India and North Ceylon. 



P. pondicerianus interpositus Hart., North-western India. 



F. pondicerianus mecranensis Zar. and Harms, South Persia, Baluchistan, 

 Afghanistan . 



VIII. THE SUBSPECIES OF FRANCOLINUS FRANCOLINUS. 



Like so many other game-birds, the non-migratory members of the genus 

 Francolinus have developed into a number of geographical races. In the Cata- 

 logue of Birds, vol. xxii., the latter were, as a rule, not distinguished, though the 

 author, even at that time, condescended now and then to acknowledge subspecies, 

 which, however, in some cases [vide Perdix damascena, Chrysolophus obscurus) 

 were not geographical forms. 



The disentanglement of the subspecies of Francolinus jrancolinus has caused 

 me considerable difficulty. Not only is material wanting from several important 

 areas, but not less than six supposed new forms have been named by Messrs. 

 Buturlin and Zarudny. 



Even a cursory glance at the boxes of Francolinus jrancolinus in the British 

 or Tring Museums shows that there are a number of conspicuous geographical 

 races. 



The francolins from Cyprus, Asia Minor, and Palestine are separated from 

 those of India and Persia by their large size (long wings) ; the spurs of the males 

 are always present and often long and pointed, the coloration is dark. As I 

 have explained before, Cyprus is the "terra typica " for the name jrancolinus; 

 Francolinus vulgaris is only a new name for Tetrao jrancolinus, Francolinus 

 triatriatus (Cyprus) a clear synonym. 



Francolinus jrancolinus caucasicus Buturlin, 1907, from "Transcaucasia," 



