NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



shifting its locality according to the feeding. They are generally 

 found in flocks, and feed principally on grass seeds and small 

 insects. They dispose of great numbers of young locusts and 

 locust eggs. Their cry, which is a sharp " whitt-whitt, 

 whitt-whitt," is heard generally after midday. They are 

 exceedingly quick on the wing, though only flying a short 

 distance when disturbed. Their nest is usually placed in a 

 depression on the ground under the shelter of a bush or even 

 among the standing crops. The depression is lined with soft 

 grass, and in it are laid from 8 to lo eggs, which are a 

 yellowish-brown, spotted usually, but sometimes blotched, with 

 dark brown. The eggs measure on the average 1.15 by 0.90, 

 and are laid between September and October. The quail is 

 of great economic value. 



Red-necked Pheasant {Ptemistes nudicolHs). (Vol. II., 



P- 253O 



Description. — Male : above, general colour brown, there 

 being white edgings to the feathers on the nape, those of the 

 mantle, wings, and rest of upper surface having strongly marked 

 brown centres. Sides of face and line over eye and forehead 

 black. Wing quills brown. Upper breast ashy with black 

 centres to the feathers. Lower breast and flanks black and 

 white, the black being along the shafts and edges, the white in 

 two narrow bands on each web. Abdomen and under tail 

 coverts brown, with dark shaft marks similar to the back. 

 Iris brown. Bare skin round the eye and on the throat crimson. 

 Bill and legs orange-red. Pair of strong tarsal spurs. 



Leyigth^ 15.0 ; wing, 8.25 ; tail, 3.45. 



The female is smaller in size and has no spurs. The 

 feathers on the sides of the neck and on the nape are edged 

 with white. 



Distribution. — This pheasant occurs chiefly in Cape Pro- 

 vince, in the thickly wooded coastal districts, from Swellendam 

 eastwards to Natal. 



Habits. — The red-necked pheasant is generally found in 

 174 



