PTERNISTES SWAINSONI. 



SWAINSON'S FRANCOLIN. 



(Plate 30.) 



Perdix swainsonii, Smith, Rep. Exped. Cent. Afr., p. 54 (1836). 



Pternistes swainsoni, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 587 (1875- 

 84); Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 102 (1892); 

 Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxn, p. 179 (1893) ; Reiche- 

 now, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 456 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. 

 Mus., m, p. 354 (1905) ; Sclater & Stark, Bii-ds of S. Afr., iv, 

 p. 217 (1906). 



Local Names. "Pheasant " of the Enghsh Colonists ; "Fazant" of the 

 Dutch. 



Description. Length of a male about 13 in. The female is slightly 

 smaller and resembles the male except that she is without the 

 chestnut edgings to the feathers of the lower-breast and flanks, 

 and has no spm-s. The bird figured is an adult male. 



Distribution. Swainson's Francolin was first discovered by Smith 

 along the rivers south of Kurichane ; these rivers rise on the 

 northern slopes of the Magaliesberg. It is not found much south 

 of this point, but is common enough to the north right up to the 

 Zambesi. I have frequently shot it along the southern slopes of 

 the Magaliesberg, at Rustenburg, Zeerust, and on the Zeerust- 

 Mafeking road ; it is quite common near the Victoria Falls and 

 it ranges into German South- West Africa. 



Swainson's Francolin is never found far from water. The sort 

 of country it likes and in which it is most common is one 

 which is well watered, with plenty of cultivation to provide it 

 with food, and thick bush along the edge of the water where 

 it can roost, breed and find shelter. 



It is easy to tell if Swainson's Francolin is present in any 

 numbers should you be looking for them, as they utter their 



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