THE FRANCOLINS. I03 



C. No well-defined row of rufous or buff spots on both 

 webs of the primary flight-feathers ; feathers of the baek and 

 scapulars devoid of white or buff shaft-stripes down the middle 

 (p. 124)- 



c. Inner webs of the primary flight-feathers either mostly 



pale buff or brown, largely barred and mottled with 

 chestnut or buff (species 28 to 34, pp. 125-128). 



d. Inner webs of the primary flight-feathers uniform dark 



brown, sometimes slightly dotted with buff towards the 

 marginal extremity (species 35 to 44, pp. 129-135). 

 The Francolins or Spur-legged Partridges vary much in size, 



some being not much larger than Quails, others rather larger 



than the Red-legged Partridges. 



A. The three following Asiatic species are characterised by 

 having a well- defined roiv of rufous or buff spots on both 

 webs of the primary flight feathers. 



I. THE COMMON FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS FRANCOLINUS. 



Tetrao francolinus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 275 (1766). 



Perdix francolinus, Vieill. Faun. Franc,, p. 254, pi. no, fig. 2, 

 and pi. iii. fig. 1 (1828). 



Francolinus vulgaris, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 319 

 (1819); Gould, B. Europe, iv. p. 259, pi. (1837); Dresser, 

 B. Europe, vii. p. 123, pi. 473 (1876); Hume and Marshall, 

 Game Birds of India, ii. p. 9, pi. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume's 

 Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 428 (1890) ; Ogilvie Grant, 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 132 (1893). 



Francolinus tristriatus, F. henrici, and F. asice, Bonap. C. R. 

 xlii. p. 882 (1856). 



{Plate XI.) 

 Adult Male. — General colour of the under-parts black, spotted 



with white on the sides ; upper-back black, spotted with white ; 



lower-back barred with white; a wide dark chestnut nuchal 



collar; a white patch on the hinder-part of the cheek; rest 



of head and throat black. A pair of small wart-shaped spurs. 



