210' PHASIANIDa; fkancolinus 



Young birds have the mantle similar to the rest of the upper 

 parts ; some of the scapulars blotched with black at the extremities, 

 and the under parts brownish white, finely vermiculated with black ; 

 the bill is dark purple and legs paler than in the adult. 



Distribution. — The Eed- billed Francolin was first obtained by 

 Sir James Alexander iu the early part of the last century in 

 Great Namaqualand ; it is spread all over German South-west 

 Africa as far as southern Angola, and extends eastwards throughout 

 the Northern Kalahari to the upper waters of the Limpopo and 

 Marico Elvers in the North-west Transvaal. 



The following are localities : Transvaal — Limpopo and Marico 

 Elvers (NicoUs and Eglington) ; Bechuanaland — north of Molopo 

 (Bryden), Notwani Eiver (Nicolls and Eglington), Botletli Eiver 

 (Bryden) ; German South-west Africa— Great Fish Eiver in Great 

 Namaqualand (Alexander, type), Otjimbinque and Walvisch Bay 

 (Andersson in Bt. and S. A. Mus.). 



Habits. — This bird, which replaces the so-called Pheasant of the 

 Colony in German South-west Africa and the Kalahari is found in 

 coveys of from ten to fourteen individuals usually in very thick bush 

 and never far from water ; it is one of the most difficult of the 

 Francolins to flush, and when this is done, it almost invariably takes 

 refuge among the thickest branches of a tree or bush, where it 

 remains motionless and concealed till the danger is past. 



It is a very swift runner, and is not shy, being seen not in- 

 frequently among Native kraals picking up fallen grain. 



It feeds early in the morning and late in the evening on seeds, 

 berries and insects ; its voice is a " succession of hysterical laughs, 

 at first slow, but increasing in rapidity and strength till suddenly 

 they cease." The eggs are laid on the ground, in a slight hollow 

 under the shelter of a bush. Fleck found one nest with ten, another 

 with only four eggs ; in the latter case incubation was almost com- 

 pleted. The eggs are stated by Layard to be rather peculiarly 

 shaped, being truncated at both ends, and the shell being very 

 thick, dense and heavy ; the colour is a pale creamy white and the 

 measurements 1'6 x I'l. 



655. Francolinus capensis. Noisy Francolin or Cape Pheasant. ; 



Tetrao capensis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i, p. 759 (1788). 



Perdix clamator, Temm. Pig. et Gall, iii, pp. 298, 717 (1815). 



Perdix capensis, Burchell, Travels i, p. 270 (1822) ; Grill, K. Vet. 



Aliad. Handl. ii, no. 10, p. 52 (1858). 

 Franeolinus clamator, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 268 (1867) ; Sharpe, ed 



