Game Birds of South Africa. 29 



and it resembles the true Red Wing in the size of the coveys. 

 I have very rarely found more than eight in a covey, the 

 usual number being four or five. 



Its call differs from that of the Grey Wing and is exactly 

 like the call-note attributed to Biittikofer's Francolin in Stark 

 and Sclater's book, sounding like " 0, ti pidlip, 0, ti pidlip," 

 which is very similar to the call of the Red Wing, while the 

 Grey Wing's call is like " Flip, plip, plou ; Flip, plip, pleu." 



On one occasion in 1890 or 1891 when out shooting alone 

 near Barberton I was riding, towards evening, down a very 

 wide donga when I heard ahead of me a perfect chorus of 

 Fartridge calls. I dismounted and then saw about a dozen 

 Fartridges, each on a stone or clod or other prominent 

 projection at the side of the donga, with their beaks pointing 

 skywards, calling as if their very lives depended upon the 

 noise they made. They took no notice of me, although I 

 walked right close up to them. I have never again heard 

 such a number of birds calling at the same time and so 

 loudly. It was too dark to shoot any unless I picked them 

 off on the ground, and beyond watching them for a little 

 time I did not disturb them, and as it became darker the 

 concert ended. I expected to see the cocks fighting, but they 

 did not disturb one another, I am unable to say whether 

 there is any difference between the call-note of the male and 

 female, nor do I know for certain that both sexes call. When 

 a covey is scattered by being flushed the call-note wall after 

 a little time be heard from various points, judging from which 

 fact I believe that the hens call as well as the males. To try 

 and decide this point I shall have to shoot some birds on the 

 ground when calling, although such an act is like shooting a 

 fox in a fox-hunting county in England. 



There is not a very great difference in appearance, 

 according to Stark and Sclater's description, between this 

 Fartridge and Biittikofer's Francolin {Francolinus jugidaris) 

 and Shelley's Francolin (^Francolinus shelle//i), and I doubt 

 whether they can be considered as distinct species, and not 

 mere local variations. I have shot Fartridges both at 

 Verecniging and near Witbank on the same ground and 



