2. ORTYXELUS. 31 



Oxytelus meiffreni, Eeichenb. Av. Syst. Nat., Gall. Taf. 325. figs. 1801- 



1803 (1852). 

 Ortyxelus isabellinus, Heuyl. Si/st, Uebers. p. 52 (1856) ; id. J.f. O. 



1862, p. 414. 



Adult male. General colour above variegated like a Quail or 

 Hemipode, vinous red, vcrmiculated with black and streaked with 

 white or sandy buff, the feathers being edged with the latter colours, 

 this light edging being accompanied by an internal line of black ; 

 wing-coverts white, the inner ones like the back, but with larger 

 markings of white and the other pattern rather more coarsely 

 indicated ; primary-coverts and quills blackish, the outer primaries 

 with a sandy-buff spot at the ends, vermiculated with black, and 

 having a white or sandy-buff band across the basal portion of the 

 feathers, increasing towards the outermost or first quill, which is 

 white for two thirds of its length, with a sub-terminal black patch ; 

 the inner primaries and secondaries black, with a broad white tip, 

 the innermost being sandy rufous, variegated like the back, but 

 much more coarsely ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts more 

 uniform vinous red, with a few dusky cross-bars and concealed white 

 spots, the bars more distinct on the upper tail-coverts ; tail-feathers 

 sandy buff, the centro ones distinctly barred across with dusky 

 brown, the remainder vcrmiculated but not barred, the outermost 

 feather for the most part white, with a wash of sandy buff on the 

 inner web and a dusky line in the centre ; head a little browner 

 than the back, less distinctly varied with sandy markings, the centre 

 of the crown streaked with creamy buff, forming a broad longi- 

 tudinal streak ; a broad eyebrow and the sides of the face creamy 

 white, with a brown streak behind the ear-coverts; throat and 

 under surface of body white, washed with creamy buff on the 

 throat and chest ; the fore neck and sides of upper breast sandv 

 rufous, vermiculated with dusky blackish and spotted with white 

 like the upper surface of the body ; under wing-coverts white ; the 

 lower primary-coverts blackish, forming a patch ; inner lining of 

 quills isabelline buff, followed by a broad black patch on the 

 primaries, which are tipped with white: "bill horn-yellow; feet 

 and claws pale horn-yellow, the claws of the middle toes marked 

 with blackish " {von Heugiin) : " feet white ; iris light brown " 

 (F. J. Jackson). Total length 4-8 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 3, 

 tail l - 25, tarsus - 65. (Mas. F. J. Jackson.) 



Hah. West Africa, from the River Gambia to Grand Bassam, re- 

 occurring in North-eastern Africa in Kordofan as far south as 

 Turquel. 



rt, b. Ad. sk. Senegambia, Purchased. 



<•. Ad. sk. Senegambia. E. Wilson, Esq. [P.]. 



