FRANOOLINUS SEPHAENA. 



CRESTED FRANCOLIN. 



(Plate 17.) 



Perdix sepJwena, Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr., p. 55 (1836). 



Francolinus pileatus, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 593 

 (1875-84) ; Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 103 

 (1892). 



Francolinus sephcena, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxii, p. 146 

 (1893) ; id., Game-Birds, i, p. 113 (1895) ; Reichenow, Vogel 

 Afrikas, i, p. 495 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., in, p. 354 

 (1905) ; Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 199 (1906). 



Local Name. " Inkwali " of the Zulus (Millar). 



Description. The figure represents a male. The female is very 

 similar in plumage but has the upper-parts covered with narrow 

 wavy bars of buff and lines of black, and lacks spurs. Length 

 about 12J in. 



Distribution. " The Crested Francohn" is foimd throughout Bechu- 

 analand, as far as the Zambesi and southern Angola in one 

 direction, and in the other as far as Zululand and southern 

 Mozambique. In East Africa it is replaced by other closely-allied 

 species. 



The Crested Francolin is nowhere a common bird. Its 

 habits appear to resemble those of Pternistes swainsoni 

 (Swainson's Francohn), and it has the same hking for the 

 vicinity of water and thick cover. 



It feeds on the usual mixed diet of grain, insects, berries, 

 seeds, etc. 



I have not shot this species, but have killed a few of 

 the closely allied F. granii (Grant's Francolin) in British East 

 Africa, and thought them most unsporting little birds. So 



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