AVES. 423 



Guinea-fowl. The food appears to consist to a larger extent 

 of seeds and fruits than amongst the Partridges, insects 

 being apparently but L'ttle sought after. In one instance 

 three birds shot one morning near Halai had been feeding 

 chiefly upon the small tubers or corms of the Quentee 

 {Cyperiis esculentus). Their crops also contained seeds 

 and a few fragments of leaves, but amongst the three 

 only one insect, a Hemipter. Their being so exclusively 

 gramnivorous is probably the cause of the excellence of 

 their flesh, which is far superior to that of most game 

 birds. As may be imagined, they were much sought 

 after by the sportsmen of the army, and during the stay 

 of our small party in the Anseba vaUey we lived to no 

 small extent upon these birds, as their flesh was as far 

 superior to that of all other game except the Koodoo, as 

 it was to that of the tough goats which we could obtain 

 not without difficulty from the villagers. 



Family PEEDICID^. 



236, Francolinus Erkelii (Eiipp.). 



Perdix Erkdii, Eiipp. Neu. Wixb. p. 12, t. vi. 

 Frankolinus Erkelii, Riipp. Sjst. Uebers. No. 378. 



Iris hair brown ; beak black ; legs yeUow with much 

 dusky on the toes ; claws dusky. 



This is perhaps the commonest Partridge of the 

 Abyssinian highlands. It keeps much to rocky hill- 

 sides, and has a considerable range in altitude, from 

 about 3,000 feet above the sea to 1-0,000 feet. It 

 abounded in the upper portion of the Senafe pass, and 

 from the male being provided with two strong spurs, 



