152 ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY. 



twelve feathers, wedge-shaped, the middle pair of feathers 

 being considerably longer than the next pair ; the first primary 

 flight-feather is intermediate in length between the sixth and 

 seventh, and not much shorter than the longest. The tarsus 

 is not provided with a spur in either sex, and the plumage is 

 entirely different in the two sexes. 



Only one rather small species is known. 



I. THE MADAGASCAR PARTRIDGE. MARGAROPERDIX 

 MADAGASCARIENSIS. 



Tetrao madagarensis, Scop, {ex Sonnerat), Del. Flor. et Faun. 



Insubr. pt. ii. p. 93 (1786). 

 Perdix striatus^ Lath. ; Temm. PI. Col. v. pi. 39 [No. Z2\ 



(1823). 

 Margaroperdix striatus, Auctorum, passim; Grandidier and 



Milne-Edwards, Hist. Madagas. Ois. i. p. 487, pis. 199- 



201A (1885). 

 Margaroperdix madagascariensis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. 



Mus. xxii. p. 196 (1893). 

 Adult Male. — General colour of upper-parts reddish-brown, 

 with whitish shaft-stripes, and mostly with rufous or buff cross- 

 bars ; a line of black feathers with whitish shaft-stripes down 

 the middle of the head ; sides of head and throat black, with 

 white stripes over the eye and along the sides of the throat; 

 fore-neck and middle of chest chestnut ; sides grey ; middle of 

 breast and belly black, with oval white spots ; sides and flanks 

 mostly chestnut ; tail black, barred with reddish- white ; bill 

 black. Total length, 10 inches ; wing, 5-1 ; tail, 27. 



Adult Female. — General colour above black, mixed with olive- 

 brown, with pale shaft- stripes and bars as in the male ; throat, 

 sides of the head, and under-parts mostly rufous-buff, the latter 

 with concentric black lines on each feather ; sides and flanks 

 barred with black. 



Range. — Island of Madagascar. 



