124 ORNAMENTS OF THE VELD 



The Namaqua Sandgrouse (Pteroclurus namaqua) 

 needs no further description than the attenuated centre 

 tail feathers. The Boers call it the Namaqua Patrijs, 

 while the English Colonials call it the Namaqua Part- 

 ridge. It is commoner and more generally distributed 

 in South Africa than any of the other species. It is 

 particularly common in the dryer portions of the Cape, 

 where the bird's plumage harmonises with the scrub and 

 sand of its karroo home. 



The Sandgrouse are partly migratory in habits, and 

 live chiefly on weed seeds and grain. 



They fly in flocks at sunrise and sunset to the nearest 

 water, being very thirsty animals. 



FRANCOLINS. 



The Francolins (Family Phasianidce) are known to 

 the Colonials as Pheasants and Partridges, and to the 

 Boers as Patrijse. 



There are tw r o genera of Francolins : 



(a) Head, neck and throat covered with feathers ... Francolinus. 



(b) Head and neck feathered, throat bare Pternistes. 



To the former belong the "Partridges" and to the 

 latter the " Pheasants," numbering thirteen species all 

 told. The members of this family are not easy of concise 

 description, and we must refer the reader for detailed 

 information to the excellent vol. iv. of the " Birds " in 

 Sclater's " Fauna of South Africa." 



The Francolins apart from their economic value as 

 food for man are of great utility to the farmer on 

 account of their seed- and insect-eating propensities. 



They are fond of digging for small bulbs and roots, 

 and from this the idea of the Boers that they are detri- 

 mental to potato crops probably originates ; they bear 



