2oo llovd's natural history. 



PtilopacJuis erythrorhynchus. Swains. B. of W. Afr. ii. p. 220 



(183?)- ' 



Ptilopachys fuscus, Oerilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 

 256 (1893). 



Adult Male and Feuale. — Upper-parts brown, finely mottled 

 with whitish; mantle and chest mostly sienna, with a dark 

 shaft-band down the middle of each feather ; sides of the head 

 and throat dark brown, edged with white ; middle of the 

 breast uniform buff; belly dark brown ; sides and flanks chest- 

 nut, with irregular cross-bars of brown and white. 



Male measures: Total length, 11 inches; wing, 5^2 ; tail, 

 3*6 ; tarsus, 1*2. 



Female: Smaller; wing, 47. 



Range. — Africa, extending from Senegarnbia and the Gold 

 Coast to Kordofan, Abyssinia, and the Siik country. 



Habits. — Very little has been recorded about the habits of 

 this curious bird, which seems to be met with chiefly on the 

 bare stony hillsides at a considerable elevation. 



The only account I can find is that given by Heuglin, 

 and the substance of his remarks is as follows : — The Stone 

 Pheasant is a gregarious bird, living in flocks of from five to 

 fifteen individuals. It is only met with in rocky ground in the 

 neighbourhood of cliffs and precipices, always in the proximity 

 of running water or wells, and seems to prefer the neighbour- 

 hood of scrub and coarse grass. Flocks of these birds are apt 

 to escape notice on account of the protective colour of their 

 plumage, which harmonises perfectly with their surroundings, 

 and renders them almost invisible. In the breeding season, 

 however, and throughout the rainy season, their presence is 

 generally betrayed by the far-reaching flute-like whistle of the 

 male ; and in the early morning, and towards evening, one often 

 falls in with a covey on their way to or from the water. The 

 way in which these birds get over the rough stony faces of the 

 hills reminds one of the Chukar {Caccabis chukar), for they hop 



