320 
COMMON FRANCOLIN. 
orange collar ; the sides of the neck, breast, and 
body, are black, varied with spots of white : the 
lower part of the belly and thighs striped with 
black : the under tail-coverts reddish : the lower 
part of the back and rump crossed with alternate 
lines of black and yellowish white : the quills 
dusky, marked with transverse rusty yellow spots : 
tail rounded, the four middle feathers alternately 
striped with black and rusty yellow 5 the others on 
each side, with black and white for two thirds of 
their length ; the rest black to the tip : legs red- 
dish, and furnished with a spur. The female is 
less, and irregularly varied with blackish and rusty 
throughout, but in the back and tail greatly re- 
sembling the male : tarsi without a tubercle or 
spur. 
Although a native of the southern parts of Eu- 
rope, the manners of this elegant species are hut 
little known : it feeds upon insects and seeds : it 
has a very loud whistle, and its flesh is greatly 
esteemed. It appears to be found throughout all 
the warmer parts of Europe, from Spain to the 
Levant ; it is likewise found in Asia at Bengal, 
and is very abundant in Barbary and other parts 
of Africa. 
