THE PARTRIDGES 2179 



lands, although the males are very similar to the Natal bird, and only differ in the 

 shape of the black marking on the under parts, the females are different, their 

 general color below being bright rust color. One of the largest species is Jack- 

 son's francolin (F. jacksonf) from Masailand, which is only rivaled in size by 

 Erckell's francolin (F. erckelli) from Abyssinia. An allied genus includes the bare- 

 throated francolins (Pternistes) of Africa, of which nine large species are known, 

 these being easily recognized by their bare throats covered with red or orange skin. 

 In habits they closely resemble the true francolins. 



The next genus is that of the true partridges, which are natives of 

 U p Europe and Asia, where they are represented by four species belonging 



to two distinct types. The common partridge (Perdix cinerea), and 

 the bearded partridge (P. daurica), with a black horseshoe mark on the breast, have 

 eighteen tail feathers, and the under parts of the body devoid of black crossbars; 

 while to the second group belong Hodgson's partridge (P. hodgsoni) from South 

 Tibet, and the smaller more northern form {P. sifanica) from Kansu, both of which 

 have only sixteen tail feathers, and the under parts barred with black. The common 

 partridge ranges over Europe and Western and Central Asia, as far, at least, as the 

 Barabinska steppes and the Altai. Until recently the chestnut horseshoe mark on 

 the breast was considered as distinctive of the male, the female having this reduced 

 to a few chestnut spots, or absent. It is true, indeed, that in old birds the differ- 

 ences in this patch are generally characteristic of the male and female, but in the 

 majority of immature females the horseshoe is well developed, and nearly or quite 

 as large as in the adult male. Immature birds of both sexes may be recognized by 

 having the first flight feather pointed at the extremity, and the legs yellowish brown; 

 while in adults this feather is rounded at the tip, and the legs are slate color. In 

 the southeastern counties of England young females rarely have a well-marked 

 horseshoe, and in some instances all trace of chestnut is absent. On the other hand, 

 in most examples from other parts, this patch is greatly developed, and occasionally 

 is nearly as large as in adult males. The only characteristic for distinguishing the 

 sexes is in the lesser and median wing coverts; in the male, each of these feathers 

 being brownish buff, thickly vermiculated with black, with a chestnut blotch on 

 either web, and a well-defined pale buff shaft stripe down the middle, while in the 

 female the ground color is mostly black with wide-set transverse buff bars, in addi- 

 tion to the buff shaft stripe common to both sexes. 

 Allied Genera Passing over the Madagascar partridge (Margaroperdix madagascar- 



iensis), distinguished by having only twelve tail feathers, we come to 

 the pygmy Indian partridges, forming two genera with five species, all no larger 

 than the quail, but with handsome plumage. In all, the plumage of the sexes is 

 different, and the tail feebly developed, being less than half the length of the wing; 

 in the first genus containing twelve feathers, and in the latter ten. The jungle 

 bush quail (Pedicula asiatica), and the rock bush quail (P. argunda), are the repre- 

 sentatives of the first genus. In the males the breast and under parts are white barred 

 with black, but while in the former the chin and throat are bright chestnut, in the 

 latter they are dull brick red. The females have the under parts vinaceous buff, 

 but in the jungle bush quail the chin and throat are bright chestnut as in the males, 



