PARTRIDGES. 411 



neck isabelline, faintly marked and barred with rufous buff, and the dark marking 

 on the upper-parts coarser. Bare broken ground is the favourite home of the sisis, 

 and they may be met with in suitable localities from sea-level up to about seven 

 thousand feet. Unlike most partridges, they care little for concealment, and when 

 they wish to hide, the colour of their plumage harmonises so perfectly with the 

 sand and stones, that it is only necessary for them to keep still to avoid detection. 



The Francoiins ^ e n W COme to a ^ ar ^ e group of spur-legged partridges known 



' as francolins, which include more than forty species, the great majority 

 of which are natives of Africa. One species, the common francolin (Francolinus 

 vulgaris), is, however, found in Cyprus, and ranges across South- West Asia to 

 Northern India, while the painted francolin (F. pictus) is peculiar to Western and 

 Central India, and the Chinese francolin (F. chinensis) inhabits the Indo-Chinese 

 countries. In all, except two, the males are provided with at least one, and in certain 

 cases two pairs of sharp spurs, and in some of the African forms the females are 

 almost as well armed. The common and painted francolins are exceptions to the 

 rule, the male of the former having but one pair of blunt wart-like spurs, while in 

 the latter even these are absent. The common francolin or black partridge once 

 extended over a wider range and inhabited many of the countries bordering the 

 Mediterranean, until recently a few pairs still remaining in Sicily. The male has 

 the sides of the head, chin, throat, and under-parts deep black, the sides and flanks 

 being more or less spotted with white according to age ; there is a white band 

 below the eye, and a wide chestnut ring surrounds the neck, while the top of the 

 head and wings are dark brown edged with buff, and the lower back and rump 

 black narrowly barred with white. The female has the chestnut collar confined to 

 the nape, and the general colour of the upper-parts browner, while the sides of the 

 head are buff shading into white on the throat, and the under-parts white mixed 

 with buff and barred with black. This bird, in common with all the francolins, 

 loves valleys where high grass and jungle are interspersed with cultivated ground. 

 Although the males and females of this and several other species differ considerably 

 in plumage, in the great majority of cases they are very much alike ; an instance 

 of this occurring in two closely allied African species. Thus, while the male of the 

 Natal francolin (F. natalensis) has the under-parts white with V-shaped black marks 

 on the feathers, and is similar to the female, in the allied Hildebrand's francolin 

 (F. hildebrandi) from Kilima Njaro, and the Johnston's francolin (F. johnstoni) 

 from the Shire Highlands, although the males are very similiar to the Natal bird, 

 and only differ in the shape of the black marking on the under-parts, the females 

 are different, their general colour below being bright rust-colour. One of the 

 largest species is. Jackson's francolin (F. jacksoni) from Masailand, which is only 

 rivalled in size by Erckell's francolin (F. erckelli) from Abyssinia. An allied genus 

 includes the bare-throated francolins (Pternistes) of Africa, of which nine large 

 species are known, these being easily recognised by their bare throats covered with 

 red or orange skin. In habits they closely resemble the true francolins. 



The next genus is that of the true partridges, which are natives 

 True Partridges. _ 



of Europe and Asia, where they are represented by four species 



belonging to two distinct types. The common partridge (Perdix cinerea), and the 

 bearded partridge (P. daurica), with a black horse-shoe mark on the breast, have 



