from Deelfontein, Cape Colony. 3 



In the following field-notes : 



".Kra»te"= the precipice round a mountain or kopje. 



"A~o^V' = ahill. 



" Spruit " = a small stream, rill, or spring. 



" Slu.it " or " donga " = a dry watercourse carved out by the rain-flow 



from the mountains. 

 "_Dam"=an artificial pond. 



The sequence followed is that of Sharpens ' Hand-list/ 



1. Francolinus africanus. 



Francolinus afer (Lath., nee Milll.) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's 

 B. S. Afr. p. 595 (1884). 



Francolinus africanus Steph. ; Grant, Cat. B. xxii. p. 152 

 (1893) ; Sharpe, Hand-1. B. i. p. 24 (1899). 



a, b, c. <$; d. ? ad. Deelfontein, Feb. 18-27, 1902. 



e,f,.9> 6 ad. „ March 2, 1902. 



h, i. ? ad. „ March 24-27, 1902. 



k. <J ad. „ Aug. 12, 1902. 



/, m. S ? ad. „ Sept. 17, 23, 1902. 



n, o, p. <$ juv. „ Nov. 19, 1902. 



The eggs measure: axis 1*55, diam 1*1 inch. 



From the series now sent it appears that young birds 

 can be distinguished by their white throats and paler 

 lower mandibles. The older the bird, the more spotted 

 it is beneath, and the throat is always more closely barred 

 by reason of the dusky margins of the feathers, those of the 

 lower throat being especially scale-like. The pretty grey 

 edging to the feathers of the fore-neck seems to become 

 abraded during the breeding-season, and the orange and 

 chestnut markings on the fore-neck and chest are very 

 apparent. In young birds these colours are more subdued 

 and the black cross-barring is continued to the lower throat, 

 coupled with very distinct white shaft-streaks. The plumage 

 of the crown is blackish in young bii"ds, with margins of sandy 

 rufous, imparting a scaled, rather than a streaked, appearance 

 to the head. The progress from the barred-breasted young 

 bird to the thickly pearl-spotted adult is gradually acquired, 

 and apparently, to a great extent, by a change of feather 



b2 



