152 Lloyd's natural history. 



twelve feathers, wedge-shaped, the middle pair of feathers 

 being considerably longer than the next pair ; the first primary 

 flight-feather is intermediate in length between the sixth and 

 seventh, and not much shorter than the longest. The tarsus 

 is not provided with a spur in either sex, and the plumage is 

 entirely different in the two sexes. 



Only one rather small species is known. 



I. THE MADAGASCAR PARTRIDGE. MARGAROPERDIX 

 MADAGASCARIENSIS. 



Tetrao madagarensis, Scop, (ex Sonnerat), Del. Flor. et Faun. 



Insubr. pt. ii. p. 93 (1786). 

 Perdix striatus, Lath. ; Temm. PL Col. v. pi. 39 [No. 82] 



(1823). 

 Margaroperdix striahis, Auctorum, passim; Grandidier and 



Milne-Edwards, Hist. Madagas. Ois. i. p. 487, pis. 199- 



201A (1885). 

 Margaroperdix madagascariensis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. 



Mus. xxii. p. 196 (1893). 

 Adult Male. — General colour of upper-parts reddish-brown, 

 with whitish shaft-stripes, and mostly with rufous or buff cross- 

 bars ; a line of black feathers with whitish shaft-stripes down 

 the middle of the head ; sides of head and throat black, with 

 white stripes over the eye and along the sides of the throat; 

 fore-neck and middle of chest chestnut ; sides grey ; middle of 

 breast and belly black, with oval white spots ; sides and flanks 

 mostly chestnut ; tail black, barred with reddish- white ; bill 

 black. Total length, 10 inches ; wing, 51 ; tail, 27. 



Adult Temale. — General colour above black, mixed with olive- 

 brown, with pale shaft-stripes and bars as in the male ; throat, 

 sides of the head, and under-parts mostly rufous-buff, the latter 

 with concentric black lines on each feather ; sides and flanks 

 barred with black. 



Range. — Island of Madagascar. 



