FRANCOLINUS ADSPERSUS. 



RED-BILLED FRANCOLIN. 



(Plate 24.) 



Francolinus adspersus, Waterhouse in Alexander's Exped., ii, p. 267, 

 PI. (1838) ; Sharpe's ed. Layard Bii-ds of S. Afr., p. 590 (1875-84) ; 

 Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 104 (1892) ; Ogilvie- 

 Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxn, p. 159, PI. vii (1893) ; Reiche- 

 now,Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 474 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., m, 

 p. 354 (1905) ; Sclater and Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 209 (1906). 



Local Names. " Pheasant " of the EngUsh, " Fazant " of the Dutch 

 Colonists in the Transvaal. Any Francolin which habitually 

 perches in trees is known as a pheasant, but if it roosts on the 

 ground it is called a partridge. It is of course quite obvious 

 that all bush-haunting species of Francolin must roost in trees, 

 or they would be speedily wiped out of existence by vermin. 



Description. The bird figured is a male. The sexes are alike, except 

 that the female lacks spurs. Young bu'ds have the mantle 

 similar to the rest of the upper-parts as figured, and some of the 

 scapulars are blotched with black at the extremities, the under- 

 parts brownish-white, finely vermiculated with black ; the bill 

 is dark purple and the legs are paler than in the adult. Length 

 about 13 in. 



Distribution. The Red-billed Francolin is found in German South- 

 west Africa, the northern Kalahari, along the Vaal River and on 

 the banks of the Marico and Limpopo Rivers in the north-west 

 Transvaal. 



It is quite common along the banks of the Vaal River between 

 Fourteen Streams and Schoeman's Drift, wherever there is a 

 thick bush, but it is not a bud worth taking much trouble about. 



The Red-billed Francolin is the Transvaal representative 

 of the Cape Pheasant {F. capensis) and in habits is very- 

 like that species and F. natalensis. It is found in coveys num- 

 bermg up to ten or twelve in the thickest bush and always 



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