on Breedhig Gray's Bare-throated Francolin. 353


the straw that covered the cement floor, and was exposed to

view during the whole time of sitting. The other concealed her

“ location” effectually behind some trusses of straw, and, had

it not been for the faithful attendance of her husband during

her long incubation, the nest might have been overlooked. I11

each case the dutiful “ worser” half kept constant watch and

guard within a foot or two of his mate, no doubt anxiously

awaiting the arrival of his family. For twenty-three days the

incubation continued, and at last the first lady in the inner

chamber brought off seven chicks; such little mites, just like

baby partridges. On the first day, however, I picked up two of

the new arrivals lying 011 the floor apparently dead ; but seeing

there was a flutter of life in them I brought them into the

kitchen when, with the aid of warm flannel, they soon revived,

and within two hours afterwards my man placed them under the

mother bird. It was strange that so shy a being as a Francolin

should allow a brute like a human man to touch her at all, but I

suppose her maternal instincts were stronger than fear, and rather

than uncover her little ones she allowed this intrusion. The

bird had been* sitting 011 twelve eggs, the five that were left

consisting of two addled and three with young birds in them.

It is curious how different in size and shape these Francolin eggs

are: I am sending some of the “bad eggs” to the Editor.*


Thanks to the advantage of having a son who can sketch

birds with some skill, I am able to send drawings of the young

•of Bare-throated Francolins at different periods ; some of these

sketches were made from birds that were hatched under ordinary

domestic fowls; for a good many eggs in the first instance were

laid here and there on the ground. My Francolins began to lay

as early as middle of May, but the first sitting which the bird

itself incubated was not completed until July 9th. I have

hatched altogether under farmyard fowls twenty-three chicks,

and under their natural mothers seventeen chicks, so have

had plenty of opportunity to study the development of these

Francolins in their infancy.



* The egg-s are somewhat pyriform in shape and vary both in size and colour. The

average dimensions of six eggs were if and 1-5/16 inches. The surface is smocth and the

colour varies from very pale stoue-colour (almost white) to light brown.— E)d.



