320 



COMMON FRANCOLIN. 



orange collar : the sides of the neck, breast, and 

 body, are black, varied with spots of white : the 

 lower part of the belly and thighs striped with 

 black : the under tail-coverts reddish : the lower 

 part of the back and rump crossed with alternate 

 lines of black and yellowish white: the quills 

 dusky, marked with transverse rusty yellow spots^: 

 tail rounded, the four middle feathers alternately 

 striped with black and rusty yellow ; the others on 

 each side, with black and white for two thirds of 

 their length ; the rest black to the tip : legs red- 

 dish, and furnished with a spur. The female is 

 less, and irregularly varied with blackish and rusty 

 throughout, but in the back and tail greatly re- 

 sembling the male : tarsi without a tubercle or 

 spur. 



Although a native of the southern parts of Eu- 

 rope, the manners of this elegant species are but 

 little known : it feeds upon insects and seeds : it 

 has a very loud whistle, and its flesh is greatly 

 esteemed. It appears to be found throughout all 

 the warmer parts of Europe, from Spain to the 

 Levant ; it is likewise found in Asia at Bengal, 

 and is very abundant in Barbary and other parts 

 of Africa. 



