PHASIANID^: FRANCOLINUS 213 



Perdix lechoho, Smith, Eep. Exped. C. Afr. p. 54 (1836). 

 """Coast Partridge" of Natal; " Namaqua Pheasant" of Transvaal 

 Boers ; " Insekvehle " of Zulus ; " Lesogo " (i.e., Lesoho) of 

 Bechuanas. 



Desertion. Adult. Crown sepia-brown, sides and nape of the 

 neck darker brown with whitish edgings to the feathers ; rest of the 

 upper surface pale brown, vermiculated with darker, most of the 

 feathers of the mantle and wings with reddish-brown shafts and 

 conspicuous dark brown shaft-marks, primaries brown not mottled ; 

 ear-coverts buffy-brown, sides of the face and neck, chin and throat 

 white spotted with black ; rest of the lower surface white, barred 

 and mottled with black, varying in arrangement from transverse to 

 V-shaped bars in different individuals. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill and legs coral-red ; male with one or two 

 tarsal spurs ; if the latter the second pair blunt ; females usually 

 without spurs. 



Length 13-5 ; wing 6-75 ; tail 3*5 ; tarsus 1-9 ; culmen 1-05. 

 The female is smaller, wing 6-3. 



Distribution. The Natal Francolin takes the place of the Cape 

 Pheasant in the Eastern portion of our area, being found in Natal, 

 Swaziland, the Transvaal and Bechuanaland, and extending proba- 

 bly to Ehodesia, though not yet definitely recorded thence ; it has 

 been met with, however, on the Zambesi by Alexander. 



The following are recorded localities : Natal near Durban 

 (Smith, type, and Ayres) ; Transvaal Swaziland (Bt. Mus.), Lim- 

 popo and Marico river (Smith and Ayres), Bustenburg (Ayres); 

 Bechuanaland Mahura's country (Arnot), Makalapsi river in 

 Bamangwato (Gates) ; Portuguese East Africa Matacauia on the 

 Zambesi (Alexander). 



Habits. Like the Cape Pheasant and the Red-billed Francolin, 

 this is essentially a bush-loving bird, being found only where there 

 is dense underwood, as along the courses of rivers or in Natal along 

 the sea coast. It is a good runner and shy and difficult to obtain ; 

 at night it roosts in the trees, while, if flushed, its flight is straight 

 and strong. It feeds at sunrise and sunset on seeds and insects, 

 and is often seen in the neighbourhood of native kraals, where it 

 resorts to obtain KaflQr corn. The Woodwards state that its call 

 is a pleasing one ; Ayres likens it to that of the Guinea fowl. 



Two eggs sent to Mr. Layard from Mahura's Country by Mr. 

 Arnot and now in the South African Museum are somewhat rounded 

 very pale brown and immaculate, and measure 1-68 x 1-4. 



