6. FEAXCOLDTUS. 



167 



Sharpe, in Oates' Matahele L. p. 323 0881) [Makalapsi R.] ; 



Sharpened. Lay ard's B. S. Afr. p. 592 (1884) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1886, 



p. 292 [Limpopo II.] ; Schaeck, Mem. Soc. Zool. Fr. iv. p. 345 



(1891) ; Grant, Ibis, 1892, p. 49. 

 Perdix lechoho. Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. p. 54 (1836). 

 Chcetopiis natalensis, JBonap. C. R. xlii. p. 882 (1856). 



Adult male aiul female. Feathers of the lores and forehead a 

 mixture of blao.k aud whitish buff ; rest of the upper parts like those 

 of F. icterorhynchus, but only the feathers of the neck are black 

 irregularly margined with white, and none of the rump-feathers 

 have black shaft-stripes. The ear-coverts are pale brown, the rest 

 of the sides of the face, chin, and throat white, each feather with a 

 subterminal round black spot. Chest, breast, and belly vary greatly 

 in the arrangement of the markings in different individuals. In 

 some specimens the ground-colour is pale buff, with a black shaft- 

 stripe on the basal two-thirds of each feather, and outside it a black 

 band parallel to the margin, in others the feathers are tolerably 

 evenlj- barred with V-shaped black bars, and between these two 

 extremes every intermediate arrangement can be found. These 

 differences have apparent!}- nothing to do with age or sex. The 

 flanks, thighs, and under taU-coverts buff, barred with brownish 

 black. Primaries and secondaries brown, the former speckled with 

 buff on the outer web, and sometimes also slightly on the inner, the 

 latter irregularly barred and vermiculated with buft' on both webs. 

 Tail dark brown, with irregular wavy bars of buff and black. The 

 male is provided with one or two pairs of spurs, when the second 

 pair are present they are small and blunt. One female specimen 

 has a blunt spur developed on the left tarsus, the others have noue. 

 Iris dark hazel ; bill and legs coral-red. 



Male. Total length 13-5 inches, wing 7-2, tail 3"S, tarsus 1'9. 



Female. Total length 12 inches, wing 6-3, tail 3, tarsus I'S. 



Immature birds have the black patches on the feathers of the 

 upper parts much more strongly developed than the adults, and 

 narrow white shaft-streaks to the feathers of the mantle, chest, and 

 scapulars ; the breast and belly are widely barred and mottled with 

 brownish black. 



llab. Eastern South Africa : ilatabeleland, Transvaal, Swaziland, 

 Natal. 



a. $ imm. sk. 



b,c. cJ 9 "d. sk. 

 d, e. 2 ad. sk. 



/. $ ad. sk. 

 g-i. S ad. et 



imm. sk. 

 ;i-. 2 ad. sk. 

 /. $ ad. 9k. 

 m, V. Pull. sk. 



Makalapsi River, W.E.&C.G.Oates, 

 Esqrs. [P.]. 

 Shelley Coll. 

 F. A. RaiTatt and 

 J. II. Gurnev, 

 Esqrs. "P.". 

 Shellev Coll.' 

 Sir A.' Smith [P.". 

 (Tvpes of the species. 

 Durban (Gordge). ' Shellev C'^ll. 



S. .\frica. Mrs. StirUng [P.]. 



S. Africa. VeiTeaux Coll. 



Shoshon 

 Aug. 



Transvaal, July ( T. E. Buckley) 

 Rustenbui'g, June. 



Swaziland, Julv ( T. E. Buckley) 

 Natal. 



