FRANCOLINS 



207 



Mr. Thomsen, Chief Locust Officer of the Transvaal, says 

 they are invaluable in the destruction of locusts, as they 

 not only feed on voetgangers, but scratch up and eat 

 countless locust-eggs. 



In the Cape Province the two best known species are the 



Fig. 113. — Orange River Francolin chicks hatching out. 



Cape Eedwing (Francolinus levaillanti) , and the Grey- wing 

 or Cape Partridge (F. africanus). The latter bird, generally 

 known as the Berg Patrijs (Mountain Partridge), is also found 

 north of the Orange Eiver. North of this dividing line the 

 Cape Eedwing is replaced by the closely allied Orange Eiver 

 Francolin (F. gariepensis), also known as the Eooivlerk 

 Patrijs. This bird is fairly common along the rocky ridges 



