FRANCOLINUS. 551 



Hbdk. t Zool., fyc., Sind, p. 2O2 ; id., Vert. Zool., Sind, p. 213. The BLACK 

 PARTRIDGE. 



PLATE. 



Male. Top of head black, the feathers behind edged with rufescent brown ; 

 lores, chin, throat and neck in front black ; nape and hind neck black, each 

 feather with four white spots, two on each side of the shaft, the lower of 

 which near the tip showing through ; a streak under the eye to the ear coverts 

 white ; a chestnut red collar round the neck ; upper part of the back black, 

 also the scapulars, the smaller feathers with four roundish spots, two on each 

 side of the shaft, and the longer ones with six rufescent marks, two transverse 

 and a longitudinal streak on each side of the shaft, the longitudinal ones only 

 showing from under the feathers ; middle and lower back, rump and upper tail 

 coverts barred with'black and white ; wing coverts black, edged with rufescent ; 

 quills barred with rufous and black ; tail black, the middle feathers barred like 

 the back with black and white, the rest barred at the bases only ; breast, abdomen 

 and flanks deep black, the feathers of the flanks with 3 4 white spots, the 

 hinder ones near the vent with broad white tips ; thigh and under tail coverts 

 and feathers round the vent chestnut ; bill black ; irides brown; legs reddish. 



Length. 13 to 14 inches ; wing 5-5 to 575 ; tail 3' 5. 



^^ female wants the black head and neck of the male and the rufous 

 collar. It is generally much browner in colour. 



Hal. The whole of Northern India from the Himalayas to the valley of 

 the Ganges ; also the Punjab. Southwards, through Rajpootana to Sind. East- 

 wards, through Dacca to Assam, Sylhet and Tipperah. Breeds in suitable 

 localities, wherever it occurs, during July and August, laying from six to ten 

 eggs, unspotted fawn brown in colour, varying in size from 1*42 to r8 in length 

 and 1*22 to 1*38 in breadth. It frequents, by preference, grass meadows near 

 water ; also cultivated fields of corn, mustard or pulse, and any patch of mode- 

 rately high green herbage. In Sind it affects low tamarisk jungle and wheat 

 fields. Its call in the early mornings is unmistakable, and is always made 

 from some little eminence, as an ant hill or the stump of a tree. It affords 

 good sport with a pointer, and is tolerably good eating, but, like all the 

 Tetraonida, is best cold, and after at least 36 hours. 



1215. PrancolinUS pictUS (Jard. and Selby), Jerd., B. Ind. 

 iii. p. 561, No. 819 ; Hume, Sir. F. v. p. 21 1 ; id., Nests and Eggs Ind. B. 

 p. 538 ; id. and Marsh., Game Birds p. 19 pi. Perdix pictus, Jard. and 

 Selby, III. Orn, pi. 50. The PAINTED PARTRIDGE. 



Crown of the head dark brown, the feathers edged paler ; forehead and 

 lores, also the cheeks and ear coverts, chestnut ; back and scapulars deep 

 brown, the feathers margined with white ; wings chestnut, banded with black ; 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts with wavy bars of black and white ; 



