226 GALLIFORMES 



CHAP. 



mottled with black and white, the breast and abdomen shewing 

 chestnut markings ; in the similar P. loehmi the naked throat is 

 yellow. These two species occur west and east of Lake Tan- 

 ganyika respectively; the female being less black and white 

 above and less chestnut below in the former, while the sexes are 

 alike in the latter. P. swainsoni of South Africa is distinguish- 

 able by its rusty abdomen with black and chestnut blotches, the 

 latter colour being absent in the hen ; P. rufipictus of East 

 Equatorial Africa has white neck-feathers, margined with brown 

 and black. P. leucoscepus of North -East and the darker P. 

 infuscatus of East Africa exhibit broken stripes of brown and 

 white down the whole body, with yellowish -red orbits and 

 throat ; the sexes are alike save for the spurs in the male. In 

 many districts the members of this genus, as well as the Fran- 

 colins proper, closely akin to them in appearance and habits, are 

 denominated " Pheasants." They haunt grassy places and brush- 

 wood, often on hills near water ; the coveys feeding in the open 

 on bulbs, seeds, berries, and insects, and roosting upon trees, 

 preferably those that are leafless. Flying little, but running at 

 a great pace, they utter harsh notes in the morning and even- 

 ing, and lay six or more creamy or pinkish eggs, frequently with 

 chalky spots, in a grass-lined cavity sheltered by coarse herbage. 

 Francolinus, inclusive of Ortygornis, Scleroptila, Chaetopus, 

 and Clamator of some writers, contains forty or more species, 

 ranging over the Ethiopian Region, and from Arabia, Cyprus, 

 and Asia Minor to Persia, India, and South China. The colora- 

 tion is rich and varied, and the sexes are commonly alike, while 

 hybrids undoubtedly occur. Apart from a special study, a general 

 idea is given by the following descriptions. F. vulgaris, the 

 "Black Partridge," ranging from Cyprus, Palestine, and Asia Minor 

 to Assam, formerly occurred in Spain, Italy, Sicily, Greece, several 

 of the Mediterranean Islands, and North Africa. 1 It has the 

 whole plumage blackish, with buff markings on the crown, wings, 

 and mantle, white ocelli on the upper back and flanks, white 

 barring on the lower back and tail, a white patch below the eye, 

 and chestnut collar and under tail-coverts. The bill is black, 

 the feet are orange with a small blunt spur. The collar of the 

 brownish female is confined to the nape, and the throat is white. 

 In F. levaillanti of South Africa, the " Kedwing " of English 

 1 See Lilford, Ibis, 1862, pp. 352-356 ; Dresser, Birds of Europe, vii. pp. 123-128. 



