CAOCABIS. 213 



Francolinus, 8teph.—Bi\\ very slightly curved at tip; tail of four- 

 teen feathers, even or rounded ; tarsi of male with blunt spurs. 



Prancolinus vulgaris, Steph. Jerd B. Lid. p. 558; Murray, 

 Hdbli., Zool, Sfc, Sind, p. 202; Gould. B. Eur. -pi. 259. Tetrao 

 francolinuSj Linn. — The Black Partridge. 



Male. — Top of head black, the feathers behind edged with rufescent 

 brown ; lores, chin, throat and neck in front black ; nape and hind 

 neck black, each feather with four white spots, two on each side of the 

 shaft, the lower of which near the tip showing through ; a streak under 

 the eye to the ear- coverts white; a chestnut red collar round the neck; 

 upper part of the back black, also the scapulars, the smaller feathers 

 with four roundish spots, two on each side of the shaft, and the longei* 

 ones with six rufescent marks, two tranverse and a longitudinal streaks 

 on each side of the shaft, the longitudinal ones only showing from 

 under the feathers; middle and lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts 

 barred with black and white; wing-coverts black, edged with rufescent; 

 quills barred with rufous and black ; tail black, the middle feathers 

 barred like the back with black and white, the rest barred at their 

 bases only ; breast, abdomen and flanks deep black, the feathers of 

 the flanks with 3 — 4 white spots, the hinder ones near the vent with 

 broad white tips; thigh and under tail-coverts and feathers round the 

 vent chestnut; bill black; irides brown; legs reddish. 



Length. — 13 to 14 inches, wing 5^ to 6f, tail 3^. 



The Female wants the black head and neck of the male and the 

 rufous collar. It is generally much browner in colour. 



Caccabis, Kaup. — Bill red, slightly longer than in FrancoUnus; 

 tarsi of male with a blunt spur; a small bare patch behind the eye. 



Caccabis Chukor, Gray, III. Ind. Zool. pi. 64; Gould. 0. B. pi. 

 71; Jerdon, B. Ind. p. 564, No. 820; Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sfc.,8ind. 

 p. 203. — The Chukore Partridge. 



Above pale bluish or olive ashy, with a rufescent tinge on the back ; 

 sides of the face, chin and throat fulvous, pale chestnut or rufescent, 

 encircled by a broad black band from the forehead, through the eye 

 along the side of the neck on to the breast, meeting its fellow from 

 the other side and forming a large- pale chestnut or rufous pectoral 

 gorget; a pale white line behind the eye; ear-coverts chestnut; sides 

 of the lower mandible and chin with a black spot ; breast bluish ashy, 

 slightly tinged with rufescent ; abdomen and under tail-coverts buff, 

 the flanks from the axil deeper buff, each feather ashy at the base with 

 two dark bands, the interspace of which is buff and terminated broadly 

 with chestnut; wings concolorous with the back, the ends of all the pri- 

 maries, except the first, margined to nearly the tip on their outer webs 

 with buff, some of the secondaries also ; axillaries buff. Tail rafous, 

 except the central feathers, which are concolorous with the back. 



Length. — 14 — 15'75 inches, expanse 21 to 23'25, wing 6'25 to 6'8, 

 tail 4 to 4'8. The female is slightly smaller; length 13 to 14'25, 

 resembles the male, and wants the spur. 



