(Jrnitliology oj' the Matopo District. 197 



plentiful to the south and west, and are, at the present day, 

 perhaps most numerous on the southern slopes of the hills. 



It is interesting to note that there are " Bushmen " 

 paintings of Guinea-fowl on Silozwana and other kopjes. 



36. + Pternistes swainsoni. Swainson^s Fraucolin. 

 Sind. "isikwehle." 



Common throughout. These " Pheasants " do consider- 

 able damage to the young raealie and monkey-nut crops, 

 aud are usually to be fouud in their vicinity, except during 

 dry spells of weather, when they gather round the kopjes. 

 After having been persecuted in these situations, they become 

 very wild, and go off strong and high, giving most sporting 

 shots. Within the central ranges, away from cultivation, 

 these birds resort to tiie reed-fringed pools and streams 

 in the morning and evening, whilst during the heat of 

 the day they retire to the kopje-sides. The vitality of 

 '^zikwehle" is extraordinary and almost incredible. On 

 one occasion I recovered a bird which had been disem- 

 bowelled by a "303 bullet two days previously, still alive, 

 skulking in some rushes ! The legs and feet are black with 

 a reddish tinge, but on February 19, 1912, I shot an old 

 female with red legs and the scales on the tarsus delineated 

 with grey, as in P. humboldti. 



37. Francolinus sp. 



This is an uncommon species and only found well within 

 the hills. It is very shy, usually keeping up towards the 

 tops of the ranges, and I have been unable to obtain speci- 

 mens. It is apparently F. afer [F. africanus of Scluter's 

 list), or a closely allied species. 



38. % Francolinus shelleyi. Shelley's Fraucolin. 



Sind. " inkwali," also applied to F. seph(ena in the 

 Mangwe District. 



The Redwing is uncommon, and I only met with it at 

 Bedza and within the hills— principally on the Mshiugili 

 and Malamba ranges. 



