FRANCOLINUS LEVAILLANTl. 



CAPE REDWINGED FRANCOLIN. 



(Plate 20.) 

 Ferdix levaillantii, Valenciennes, Diet. Sc. Nat., xxxvm, p. 441 (1825). 



Francclinus levaillanti, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 596 

 (1875-84) ; Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 100 

 (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxn, p. 154 (1893) ; 

 id., Game-Birds, i, p. 119 (1895) ; Woodward, Natal Birds, p. 161 

 (1899); Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 484 (1900-01); Sclater, 

 Ann. S. Afr. Mus., m, p. 354 (1905) ; Sclater and Stark, Bii'ds of 

 S. Afr., IV, p. 203 (1906). 



Local Names. " Redwing ' of the Colonists ; " HiU Redwing " of 

 Natal ; " Itendele " of the Zulus (Millar). 



Description. Adult male as in figure. Length 14 in. The adult 

 female is like the male, but usually has no spurs. 



Distribution. The Cape Redwing is not found north of the Limpopo, 

 and seems to be most abundant in Cape Colony. Even there it is 

 somewhat local, being chiefly confined to the southern districts, 

 and it does not appear to reach the more western or north-western 

 portions of the colony. 



In Natal Mr. MUlar states that the Redwing is found on the 

 higher levels about ten miles from the coast. The coveys consist 

 of two or tlu-ee brace, and the birds sit very close until flushed 

 when they fly to a considerable distance. 



Mr. Wood says that this Francolin is found in fair numbers 

 about East London, though at times when the weather is very dry 

 during the breeding-season, they become scarce. 



Sergt. C. G. Davies tells me that it is far from common in Pondo- 

 land except in a few localities near the coast. 



The Cape Redwing is a somewhat locally distributed bird, 

 being plentiful in some districts and entirely absent in others ; 

 it is usually met with in small coveys of from five to eight 



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