I02 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 



The Francolins are a numerous group of par- 

 tridges, mostly found in Africa ; five species _ are, 

 however, Indian, and these include the most widely 

 spread and best known of our partridges. They are 

 of the typical partridge form, with tails of 

 medium length, and no bare skin about the 

 eyes. In all, the cocks differ from the hens either 

 in plumage or by possessing spurs ; these are al\vays 

 absent in the hens. The Francolms are inclined 

 to affect cultivation, and are the best of our par- 

 tridges for sporting purposes. 



The commonest of. aJl is — . 



The Grey Partridge. 



Francolinus pondicerianus. Faun. Brit. Ind., 

 Birds, Vol. IV, p. 139. 



Native names : — Titar, Ram titar, gora 

 iitar, safed titar. Hind. ; Khyr, Bengali, 

 Uriya ; Gowjal huki, Canarese ; Kondari^ 

 Tamil ; Kaweenju, Telugu ; Oussa-watuwa^ 

 Cingalese. 



The sexes are alike in colour in this species ; 

 the upper parts are brown, boldly pencilled with 

 dark-edged creamy-white bars, and the lower parts 

 buii with fine dark transverse pencilling ; the 

 throat is buff surrounded by a broken blackish 

 band, and the outer taU-f eathei s chestnut. The 

 bill is dark grey, the' eyes dark, and the legs dull 

 red. The cock is distinguished from . the hen by 

 being slightly larger and by having a sharp spur 

 on each leg ; he is just over a foot long, \\ith the 

 wing nearly six inches, and the shank about an 

 inch apd a half. 



