THE FRANCOLINS. 



II 9 



Only a single adult female of this rare species has so far been 

 obtained and is preserved in the Turin Museum. It is a very 

 distinct form, most nearly allied, perhaps, to F finschi, which it 

 resembles in having the throat pure white, neither spotted with 

 black, nor margined by a black line. It is easily distinguished 

 from F finschi by having the forehead black, clothed with 

 sharp rigid feathers ; the nape chestnut ; the feathers of the 

 upper back chestnut, variegated with black and margined with 

 grey. Total length, 12 inches; wing, 6'6 ; tarsus, 17. 



Range. — North-east Africa ; Lake Ciar-Ciar, Shoa. 



Although this species is said to be common at the above 

 locality, no additional specimens have so far been obtained and 

 the male is still unknown. 



xxi. levaillant's francolin. francolinus levaillanti. 

 Perdix levaillantii % Valeng. Diet. Sci. Nat. xxxviii. p. 441 



Perdix vaillauti, Temm. PI. Col. v. pi. 3$ [No. 447] (1829). 

 Francolinus levaillanti, Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. pi. 85 (1843); 

 Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 596 (1884); Ogilvie- 

 Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 154 (1893). 

 Adult Male and Female. — General colour above brown, blotched 

 with black and barred with buff; breast bright chestnut ; belly 

 buff, blotched with chestnut. Easily distinguished from all the 

 preceding species by having the rufous-buff throat circumscribed 

 by a ivell-marked black and white line. From the following species 

 it differs conspicuously in the disposition of the black and 

 white stripes which ornament the sides of the head. The upper 

 ones commence behind the nostril, pass above the eyes and 

 ear-coverts, surround the crown, and, uniting on the nape, are 

 continued down the middle of the back of the neck, and 

 end in a patch of black and white feathers. The lower pair 

 margin the chin and throat and form a crescent-shaped patch 

 on the middle of the chest. Flight-feathers chestnut. Bill very 

 strong. Total length, 13 inches; wing, 6-5; tail, 2 -6; tarsus, 1-5. 



