206 ORNAMENTS OF THE VELD 



The Double-banded Sandgrouse (P. bicinctus) has the 

 forehead and a band across the fore part of the head white, 

 divided by a black stripe ; and has the additional charac- 

 teristic above mentioned of the barred tail-coverts. Length, 

 9 inches. It was very common in the Pretoria Bushveld 

 during November, and December of last year. 



The Namaqua Sandgrouse {Pteroclurus namaqua) needs no 

 further description than the attenuated centre tail-feathers. 

 Length, llj inches. The Boers call it the Namaqua Patrijs, 

 while the English Colonials call it the Namaqua Partridge. 

 It is commoner and more generally distributed in South 

 Africa than any of the other species. It is particularly 

 common in the dryer portions of the Cape where the bird's 

 plumage harmonises with the scrub and sand of its karroo 

 home. 



The Sandgrouse are partly migratory in habits and live 

 chiefly on weed seeds and grain. 



They fly in flocks at sunrise and sunset to the nearest 

 water, being very thirsty animals. 



FRANCOLINS 



The Prancolins (Family Phasiandiss) are known to the 

 Colonials as Pheasants and Partridges, and to the Boers 

 as Patrijse. 



There are two genera of Fraiicolins : — 



(a) Head, nsok and throat covered with feathers . . . Francolinus. 



(b) Head and neck feathered, throat bare Pternistes. 



To the former belong the " Partridges " and to the latter 

 the " Pheasants," numbering thirteen species all told. The 

 members of this family are not easy of concise description, 

 and we must refer the reader for detailed information to 

 the excellent Vol. IV. of the " Birds " in Sclater's " Fauna 



