PHASIANID^E 



FRANCOLINUS 



211 



Layard's B. S. Aft: pp. 591, 854 (1884) ; Bnjden, Kloof and Karoo, 



p. 308 (1889) ; Nicolls and Eglington, Sportsm. 8. Afr. p. 105, fig. 42 



(1892). 

 Francolimis capensis, Shelley, Ibis, 1875, pp. 62, 85 ; SchaecJc, Mem. 



Soc. Zool. Fr. iv, p. 343 (1891) ; Grant, Ibis, 1892, p. 48 ; id. Cat. 



B. M. xxii, p. 165 (1893) ; id. Game Birds i, p. 129 (1896) ; Shelley, 



B. Afr. i, p. 181 (1896); Reichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 473 (1901); 



Oates, Cat. B. Eggs B. M. i, p. 39 (1901). 

 " Pheasant " of the English, " Fazant " of the Dutch Colonists. 



Description. Adult Male. Above very dark brown, almost black, 

 the feathers of the crown slightly edged and tipped with lighter, 

 those of the back and wings with V-shaped or narrow wavy bands 



FIG. 65. Head of Francolinus capensis. x \ 



of ashy or pale rufous-white giving a scaly look to the upper surface ; 

 feathers of the sides of the face and neck, chin and throat black 

 edged with white ; feathers of the upper breast marked like those 

 of the back ; lower breast and rest of the lower surface black with 

 conspicuous white shaft marks and white edgings and mottlings to 

 all the feathers. 



Iris reddish-brown ; bill dark horn, lower mandible orange to 

 yellow ; legs dark yellow ; tarsus usually with a pair of blunt spurs. 

 Females as a rule without spurs, though in exceptional cases, 

 probably very old birds, they are sometimes found. 



