Francolinus Altumi the Wale of F. Hildebrandti. 145 
XV.—Francolinus Altumi, Fischer and Reichenow, ts the 
a of F. Hildebrandti, Cabanis. By W. R. OaiLvie 
RANT, 
THE statement made in the above heading would at first seem 
almost incredible to any one who knows the two forms to 
which those names have been given ; yet the evidence I shall 
put before my readers leaves no room for doubt that my asser- 
tion is correct. 
Francolinus Hildebrandti was described and figured by 
Cabanis (J. f. O. 1878, p. 243, pl. iv. fig. 2) from a single 
female specimen obtained at Taita, which was armed on the 
right leg with a single sharp spur. The species is charac- 
terized by being dull brick-red on the under. surface and 
having some of the feathers of the lower breast and belly 
margined with pale buff spots, while the feathers of the upper 
surface (except those of the mantle, which are more strongly 
vermiculated with black and white) are very finely vermicu- 
lated with reddish brown and black, and most have a narrow 
rufous shaft-streak. 
Francolinus Altumi was described and figured by Fischer 
and Reichenow (J. f. O. 1884, p. 179, pl. i.) from specimens 
obtained in Massailand, and referred by them to the group of 
Francolins including F. Rueppelli and F. Clappertont, though 
really much more closely allied to #. dcterorhynchus from 
Central Africa and F. natalensis from Natal. 
It is characterized by having the feathers of the breast and 
belly white, with a subterminal, heart-shaped, black spot, 
while the upper surface and under tail-coverts are the same as 
in fF’. Hildebrandt. 
Through Mr. H. C. V. Hunter’s generous gift to the Natu- 
ral-History Museum of the birds collected by him in Massai- 
land our National Collection now contains a good series of 
each of the above so-called species. On examining the series 
of F. Hildebrandti, which was specially interesting to me as 
representing a species new to the collection, I noted the facts 
that all the specimens were sexed female and that all had at 
least a pair of sharp spurs, while in two examples a second 
and additional pair of spurs were fairly developed; at the 
same time I expressed an opinion that /. Hildebrandti would 
certainly prove to be the female of some other species. Not 
being then engaged in working at the Francolins, I deter- 
mined to let the matter rest till I should have an opportunity 
of speaking to Mr. Hunter and hearing his opinion on the 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 6. Vol. iv. 10 
