THE CHINESE FRANCOLIN. 323 



broken ground and ravines with dense vegetation. Tn these localities (and 

 there are many such, especially at the foot of some of the hill-ranges) 

 it is abundant to a degree. Considerable numbers are generally found 

 together, the two sexes mixing freely together. In Burmah, I think 

 Jungle-fowl are commoner near tiny villages in deep forest than elsewhere; 

 for in the neighbourhood of these hamlets there is always a certain amount 

 of paddy-land, a good deal of low cover and a running stream. They feed 

 in the mornings and evenings ; and during the middle of the day they 

 remain very quiet, either on some tree or well concealed under low bushes 

 or grass. The female commences to lay at the commencement of the hot 

 weather, the end of February or the beginning of March. As a rule she 

 makes no nest, but merely scrapes out a hollow at the foot of a bamboo or 

 other bush ; at times there appear to be a good many leaves under the eggs. 

 These vary in number from six to nine ; but Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay once 

 found eleven eggs in one nest ; in colour they are pale buff. 



The Burmese race of the Jungle-fowl has the ear-lappet red, whereas 

 the Indian bird has it whitish or pinkish. 



Family TETRAONID^. 



Subfamily PERDICIN^E. 

 Genus FRANCOLINUS, Steph. 



679. FRANCOLINUS CHINENSIS. 

 THE CHINESE FRANCOLIN. 



Tetrao chinensis, Osb. Voy. ii. p. 326. Tetrao perlatus, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 758. 

 Francolinus phayrei, Bl. J. A. S. B. xii. p. 1011, xxiv. p. 480 ; id. B. Btirm. 

 p. 149. Francolinus chinensis, Hume, Nests fy Eggs, p. 539 ; id. S. F. iii. 

 p. 171 ; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, p. 468 ; Oates, S. F. v. p. 164 ; Daciil et 

 Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 400 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 443 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. Ill ; 

 Jin me 3- Marsh. Game Birds, ii. p. 27, pi. ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 236. Francolinus 

 perlatus, Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 672. 



Description. Male. A broad band over the crown black, each feather 

 edged with chestnut ; a band from the bill over the eyes and ear-coverts 

 black; the spaces between these and the coronal band chestnut a band 

 from the angle of the bill down the sides of the throat black; the space 

 between these and the superciliary streaks white ; chin and throat white ; 



