72 MY SOMALI BOOK 



leg in an attitude of profound meditation. I had not 



the kodak with mc, or should have stopped to take 



his picture. That was the only time I came across 



.-;-, this weird bird, though I 



y^h^\ believe they are not un- 



\\l \j I overtook the caravan at 



1^, WjjJ Lafarug, whence I sent P.'s 



;; n I'V camel back to Berbera. From 



^^^i^\<y\\|lp,l, this point our way lay west- 



'jtlm '.t'" wards through the Reserve. 





Just before entering this I 

 gave the -318 its first trial in the field, meeting a Uttle 

 party of plateau dhero. I missed the first shot, too 

 high, but dropped the buck with the second at 170 

 paces. Thereafter four-footed game were in sanctuary, 

 but there was no objection to shooting birds, and I 

 bagged three or four partridges for the pot. 



I was under the impression that the only partridges 

 found in Africa were of the francolin family. This 

 species, however, has not, to my mind, the francolin 

 type of plumage, and its call is practicaUy identical with 

 the characteristic ^'kur-teetur, Jcur-teetiir, kur-teetur'' 

 of the Indian grey partridge * {ortygiornis not franco- 

 liiius), very different from the harsh notes of the 

 true Indian francolins. Nor has it the upright carriage 

 of head of the painted partridge, a typical francohn. 



Another j,eminder of the Indian jungle was pro- 

 vided by sand-grouse coming to drink at dusk at a 



* Since Avriting the above my attention has been called to the fact that 

 Under the latest classification this bird is included in the Genus Francolmus as 

 F. PujuUccriaiiuti — an inclusion decidedly open to criticism. 



