THE PARTRIDGES 2177 



French partridge (C. rufa), shown in the cut on the preceding page, is a native of 

 Southwestern Europe, and was introduced into England toward the end of the last 

 century. It is a handsome bird, the upper parts being olive brown shading into 

 chestnut on the top of the head and mantle; the eyebrow stripe, chin, and throat be- 

 ing white, and the throat bounded by a black band. The feathers of the neck and 

 chest are broadly edged with black, while those of the sides and flanks are gray 

 barred alternately with white, black, and chestnut; the bill, legs, and feet being 

 bright coral red. Unlike the common partridge, the red-legged species sometimes 

 perches on trees, walls, and palings, and when pursued always prefers to escape by 

 running. During the pairing season the males are pugnacious, fighting not only 

 among themselves, but with the common species. The eggs vary from ten to 

 eighteen, and are deposited in a hollow in the ground among rough grass or in 

 growing crops. 



The pretty little Bonham's partridge {Ammoperdix bonhami), 

 p ., known in India as the sisi, and Hey's partridge {A. heyi}, found on 

 both shores of the Red Sea, form a small well-marked group nearly al- 

 lied to the last, but with the plumage of the two sexes different, the males having the 

 feathers of the sides and flanks margined with black instead of being crossbarred, 

 while the legs are never armed with spurs. The sisi has a wider range, being 

 found from Northwestern India to the Euphrates valley, and extending southward 

 to Aden. The male may be recognized by its gray head and neck, with a white 

 black-edged band passing across the forehead and along the sides of the head to the 

 ear coverts, the general color of the rest of the plumage being vinous buff. In the 

 male of Hey's partridge the head and neck are vinous-fawn color, and the upper 

 parts much paler. The females of both are almost indistinguishable, having the 

 head and neck isabelline, faintly marked and barred with rufous buff, and the dark 

 marking on the upper parts coarser. Bare broken ground is the favorite home of the 

 sisis, and they may be met with in suitable localities from sea level up to about seven 

 thousand feet. Unlike most partridges, they care little for concealment, and when 

 they wish to hide, the color of their plumage harmonizes so perfectly with the sand 

 and stones, that it is only necessary for them to keep still to avoid detection. 



We now come to a large group of spur-legged partridges known as 

 The Francolins ......... .. , . 



francolms, which include more than forty species, the great majority 



of which aie natives of Africa. One species, the common francolin (Francolinus 

 vulgaris), is, however, found in Cyprus, and ranges across Southwestern Asia to 

 Northern India, while the painted francolin (F. pidus] is peculiar to Western and 

 Central India, and the Chinese francolin (F. chinensis} inhabits the Indo-Chinese 

 countries. In all, except two, the males are provided with at least one, and in cer- 

 tain cases two pairs of sharp spurs, and in some of the African forms the females are 

 almost as well armed. The common and painted francolins are exceptions to the 

 rule, the male of the former having but one pair of blunt wart-like spurs, while in 

 the latter even these are absent. The common francolin or black partridge once ex- 

 tended over a wider range and inhabited many of the countries bordering the Medi- 

 terranean, until recently a few pairs still remaining in Sicily. The male has the sides 

 of the head, chin, throat, and under parts deep black, the sides and flanks being 



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