102 THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



birds, and when flushed in the valleys at once make for the declivities 

 of the mountains, and concealing themselves amongst the stones are 

 extremely difficult to find again. This species is not tree-roosting. 

 The flesh is very good. 



The Brown Red-necked Francolin (Ptemistes swainsoni).— 

 Fig. 49, Plate XI. 



\_Size and weight about the same as a large English cock grouse. 

 Body square and thick set ; throat and space round eyes bare of 

 feathers^ showing the skin, which is of a bright purplish red ; upper 

 portion of body and wings dark dirty brown, feathers streaked in the 

 centre and slightly mottled with a darker shade ; breast and belly 

 undecided greyish yellow ; feet slatey black."] 



The range of this species does not extend South of Potchefstroom 

 in the Transvaal, or Mafeking in Bechuanaland, but further North 

 it may be found generally up to the Zambesi. It will be met with 

 in a grassy country dotted over with brushwood, always in the 

 immediate vicinity of some river or water-pool, and in the morning 

 and evening it emerges from the cover and feeds out in the more 

 open patches, where, if startled, instead of flying it usually runs with 

 great rapidity to the shelter of the nearest jungle, from the cover of 

 which, once gained, it is most difficult to dislodge ; it is also very 

 partial to low-lying swampy ground in which there are reed patches. 

 Roosting in the night on the branches of the tallest trees, early 

 in the morning and late in the evening it is generally observed 

 perched on some stump of dead wood, from whence it utters the 

 easily recognised hoarse and frequent " gro-o-o-o-ak." Old disused 

 native cattle kraals are also very much resorted to by this species. 

 As has already been mentioned, all the varieties of Francolins possess 

 great vitality. This species in particular excels in this respect, and 

 it is astonishing what an amount of shot they are capable of carrying 

 away. The flap of the wings in flight strongly resembles the English 

 pheasant, and (particularly when making down wind) it flies with 

 great rapidity. Any sort of cur will do to put it up, but the 

 employment of trained sporting dogs will generally be found useless 

 in the thick bush to which they resort when disturbed. They are 

 rarely met with in coveys. The flesh of the young birds is very 

 good, that of the old ones being exceedingly tough. 



