FRANCOLINUS NATALENSIS. 



towards the angles of the mouth greenish yellow ; the remainder of the bill 

 intermediate, between yellow and reddish orange. Legs, toes, claws, and 

 spurs orange yellow ; eyes dark brown. 



Form, &c. — Typical. Bill moderately thick, and the upper mandible 

 considerably longer than the lower, rather broad and flattened at the tip, 

 culmen strongly arched. First quill-feather rudimentary, the fifth, sixth and 

 seventh of equal length, and longest; the fourth, third, and second diminish 

 successively in length. Wings, when folded, reach to about the commence- 

 ment of the second-third of the tail. The tail is slightly rounded. Legs and 

 toes strong ; the hinder part of the tarsus above the spur is covered with two 

 rows of moderately large and nearly circular scales. Spur single, rather 

 short, and situated nearer to the hinder toe than to the knee-joint. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines. 

 Length from tlie point of tlieliill to the 



tip of the tail 13 G 



of the bill from the angle of 



the mouth 1 3 



of the winos when folded G 8 



Indies. Lines. 



Length of the tail 3 C 



of the tarsus 2 S 



of the middle toe 1 



of the hinder toe J 



In the adull female the colours are nearly similar to those of the male. 

 She is readily to be distinguished from the latter, by wanting the spur of the 

 tarsus. 



Specimens of this species were found, though not in great numbers, on the banks of several of 

 the rivers towards the tropic of Capricorn. They appeared only to frequent the jungle, and 

 wlierever tliey were disturbed in localities wliere tlie bush was scanty, they instantly retreated 

 towards situations better calculated for concealment. 



\n 1831, I found specimens of the same s])ecies, both to the eastward and westward of Port 

 Natal, and in those situations no individuals were ever seen beyond the jungle ; the present, 

 like the other South African species, feeds upon small bulbs, seeds, and insects, and generally 

 roosts during the night upon trees. 



Though I have adopted the subgenus FrancoUnus, and referred to it all the Cape species, 

 on account of the males being supplied with one or more spurs to the tarsi, yet I am neverthe- 

 less convinced it will eventually be found necessary to sink that subgenus, as permanent charac- 

 ters are not to be found which will enable us to distinguish female Francolins from Partridges. 



South African Species of the Genus. 



Francolinus pileatus Smith. 



Francolinus Natalensis Smith. 

 Francolinus subtorquatus Smith, 

 Francolinus Gariepensis* Smith. 

 Francolinus adspersus Walerhouse. 



* A figure of this species \\\\\ be given in an early number. 



