THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 1 05 



and the Eastern borders of Natal. Its habits, call, and characteristics 

 are very similar to the Brown Francolin. It is not by any means a 

 common species. 



The Noisy Francolin (Francolinus clamator). Fig. 42, 

 Frontispiece.- 



\_Considerably larger in size, but very much resembling the Red- 

 billed Francolin (F. adspersus). Uniform colour, dark greyish 

 brown, each feather marked lengthwise -with narrow streaks of 

 greyish white; chin and portions of the throat white; feathers of 

 the neck edged with white; belly almost black, each feather having 

 a broad white stripe down the centre.] 

 This is the common "pheasant" of South Africa. It frequents the 

 kloofs and wooded districts of all the maritime portions of the Cape 

 Colony and Natal. Its utterance is particularly harsh, loud, and 

 resounding, somewhat like that of the Red-billed Francolin, and like 

 that bird, when startled it will at once take refuge in the branches 

 of trees ; but when driven out into the open it affords excellent 

 sport, and is quite the commonest game bird met with along the sea 

 coast. Its flesh is deservedly esteemed. 



The Nafal Francolin (Francolinus natalensis). Fig. 53, Plate XI. 



{^Considerably smaller than the Brown Francolin. The upper 

 portion of body paleish brown, mottled with a darker and lighter 

 shade; neck, breast, and belly, dirty white and, spotted with dark 

 brown; feet, legs, and base of bill orange.] 



The Natal Francolin — called by the Dutch the "Namaqua Pheasant" 

 — may be found in the mountainous portions of the North of Natal, 

 the Transvaal, Bechuanaland, and some parts of Matabeleland, but 

 nowhere in any great numbers. They are rarely met with in 

 coveys. It is a very shy and wary bird, and in its most accustomed 

 resorts is not often seen. Its habits are similar to the Brown 

 Francolin. 



Shelley's Francolin {Francolinus shelleyi). 



[Resembles F. levaillanti and F. gariepensis, but can be distin- 

 guished by the middle and lower breast and belly being white, irre- 



