THE BLACK PARTRIDGE OR COMMON FRANCOLIN. 1 3 



calling at any hour of the day, and frequently once or twice 

 just as it is settling itself for the night. 



As the morning thoroughly brightens out, all the birds dis- 

 appear into fields, long grass, or jungle, where they peck about, 

 feeding on insects of sorts — larvae, white ants and their eggs, 

 small coleoptera, grain and seeds of all kinds, and tender shoots 

 of grass, mustard, and many sorts of herbage. When in the 

 neighbourhood of villages, I fear that, though not so utterly 

 depraved as Grey Partridges, they are yet not by any means 

 scrupulously clean feeders ; but when shot in large jungles, far 

 away from human habitations, they may be eaten without hesi- 

 tation ; and although neither very tasty nor gamey, the flesh 

 is white and sweet, and if cooked gipsy fashion, they will be 

 found, with good bread sauce, a very welcome addition to the 

 camp bill-of-fare. 



At times you may come upon a pair in the middle of a field 

 that have been scraping in the ground and dusting themselves 

 like domestic fowls ; and in damp weather, I mean during the 

 rains, I have found them sunning themselves on sandy ridges in 

 the midst of clumps of Sarpat grass, their bodies comfortably 

 pillowed in little hollows which they have worked out for them- 

 selves, and one or both wings slightly opened. 



They are never found in coveys, except just after the breed- 

 ing season ; the young very soon learn to shift for them- 

 selves, and by November, I think, separate from their parents. 

 Hundreds may be found in the same immediate neighbourhood, 

 but all in pairs, and each pair acting independently. 



They are monogamous, and, I suspect, pair for life ; and hence 

 perhaps the rarity amongst them (if indeed they ever occur) 

 of those furious conflicts, so common amongst the males of 

 most of our game birds, for the good graces of their ladies. 

 After all they are only birds ; and all having wives of their 

 own, their little rudimentary minds are incapable of grasping 

 the manly predilection for possessing themselves of their neigh- 

 bours' spouses. 



I should notice that in different localities the habits of this 

 species vary rather markedly ; in some places Blacks run almost 

 as badly as Red-legged Partridges at home, and seem unwilling 

 to rise — in others they take wing freely and scarcely run at all. 

 Again, in some places, although there may be numbers, they 

 are so wary and lie so close that you rarely catch a glimpse of 

 one until it rises, while in other parts of the country you see 

 them scuttling about everywhere, and running backwards and 

 forwards across the read or path in front of you, as tamely as 

 Pheasants in many parts of Norfolk. 



The following note, sent me by Mr. O. Greig, touches on 

 several points of interest : — * 



" The Francolin is not a prolific breeder. I hardly ever 

 remember to have seen more than three young ones in a brood. 



