206 PHASIANID^ FKANCOLINUS 



(1893) ; id. Game Bds. i, p. 120 (1896) ; NicoUs ^ Eglington, Sportsm. 



S. Afr. p. 101 (1892) ; Bryden, Gun and Camera, pp. 99, 468 (1893) ; 



Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 181 (1896) ; Reichenoiv, Vog. Afr. i, p. 488 (19.01). 



F'rancolinus levaillanti {nee Valenc), Ayres, Ibis, 1871, p. 261. 



"Redwing" of Colonists, applied to this species as well as to F. 



levaillanti. 



Description. Male. — Crown of head dark brown edged with 

 rufous-brown ; round the hind neck a somewhat vaguely defined 

 collar of pale rufous; rest of the upper parts ashy-brown, suffused 

 in the middle of the back with a richer brown ; all the feathers 

 with longitudinal shaft stripes and transverse bands of pale rufous ; 

 primaries, primary coverts and secondaries broWn, mottled with 

 chestnut ; two narrow bands of black and white mottled feathers 

 starting in front of the eye run above and below ; the lower one of 

 the two meets its fellow in the middle line, enclosing the white chin 

 and throat, the other ends in a patch of the same colour on each 

 side of the base of the neck ; ear-coverts and space between the 

 two bands pale rufous ; below pale buff throughout, feathers of the 

 breast and flanks heavily blotched with dark rich chestnut, and 

 some of those of the upper breast margined with black as well ; 

 under tail-coverts and sometimes the lower flanks banded with 

 black. 



Iris hazel, bill dark horn, nearly black, legs dull yellowish-brown. 

 A sharp tarsal spur. 



Length about 13-0; wing 6-5 ; tail 3-0; culmen 1-0; tarsus 1-6. 



The female only differs from the male in being unprovided with 

 spurs, though sometimes possessing a blunt knob in their place. 



Distribution. — The Orange Eiver Franoolin was first obtained by 

 Sir A. Smith, at the head waters of the Caledon Eiver, in what is 

 now Basutoland ; it has not been found south of the Orange Eiver ; 

 northwards it occurs through Griqualand West, Bechuanaland, 

 Orange Eiver Colony and the Southern Transvaal, its place being 

 taken by other closely allied species to the westwards and east- 

 wards. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony — Griqualand 

 West (S. A. Mus.), Maritzani Eiver near Mafeking (Bryden) ; 

 Orange Eiver Colony — Basutoland (Smith), Vredefort Eoad (B. 

 Hamilton) ; Transvaal — Potehefstroom and Limpopo Eiver (Ayres), 

 Christiana (B. Hamilton). 



Habits. — This Francolin is usually found on grassy slopes and 

 among low kopjes not far from river courses, it has a long and shrill 



