Vol. XXXV.] 46 



Essex, on the 20th of October, 1908, by Mr. A. W. Ruggles- 

 Brise, and was presented by him to the Natural History 

 Museum. It was described and figured by me in the 

 'British Game-Birds and Wild-FowP (''Gun at Home 

 and Abroad Series ''), p. 149, pi. xxi. fig. 2 (1912). Mr. G. 

 E. Lodge's beautiful drawing gives a good idea of the 

 remarkable appearance of this bird, which has the fore-part 

 of the head, eyebrow-stripe, cheeks, and throat black, the 

 rest of the plumage dull vinous-red, a little browner on the 

 belly and under tail-coverts, and a patch of white feathers on 

 the middle of the breast, forming an irregular horse-shoe- 

 shaped mark. The second specimen, killed at Higham, 

 Kent, on the 20th of October, 1914, by Mr. H. M. Cobb, is 

 almost identical in appearance with that described above, 

 but some of the feathers of the fore-neck are edged with 

 black, producing a striped appearance, as in the normally- 

 coloured bird. The distance between Higham, in North 

 Kent, and Braintree, in Essex, is about 30 miles as the Crow 

 flies, and it is a remarkable coincidence that this second 

 specimen was killed exactly six years after the first. The 

 bird was sent by Mr. Cobb to the ' Field ' office, and a 

 reference to it will found in the 'Field' of October 19th, 

 1914, under " Answ^ers to Correspondents — H. M. C." Sub- 

 sequently, Messrs. Rowland Ward converted it into a good 

 cabinet-specimen, though the tail had unfortunately been 

 pulled out by the dog that picked it up. Dr. H. Hammond 

 Smith, into whose possession the bird passed, very kindly pre- 

 sented it to the Natural History Museum, and I am therefore 

 able to exhibit both specimens. A third variety was believed 

 to have been killed at Hull's Bridge, near Rayleigh, Essex 

 {cf. ' Field,' 31st October, 1914, "Answers to Correspondents 

 — W. P. G.") : '' Your description suggests a variety of the 

 Red-legged Partridge. We recently received one with a black 

 head from Kent ; but we cannot express an opinion without 

 seeing your bird if it has been preserved." This bird proved 

 to be unquestionably a male of the Common Francolin 

 {Francolinus francolinus) , which had either been 'turned- 

 flown' or had escaped from captivity." 



