THE CHINESE FRANCOLIN. 
323 
broken ground and ravines with dense vegetation. In these localities (and 
there are man^^ such^ especially at the foot of some of the hill-ranges) 
it is abundant to a degree. Considerable numbers are generally found 
together^ the two sexes mixing freely together. In Burmah^ I think 
Jungle-fowl are commoner near tiny villages in deep forest than elsewhere; 
for in the neighbourhood of these hamlets there is always a certain amount 
of paddy-land, a good deal of low cover and a running stream. They feed 
in the mornings and evenings ; and during the middle of the day they 
remain very quiet, either on some tree or well concealed under low bushes 
or grass. The female commences to lay at the commencement of the hot 
weather, the end of February or the beginning of March. As a rule she 
makes no nest, but merely scrapes out a hollow at the foot of a bamboo or 
other bush ; at times there appear to be a good many leaves under the eggs. 
These vary in number from six to nine ; but Capt. Wardlaw Hamsay once 
found eleven eggs in one nest ; in colour they are pale buff. 
The Burmese race of the Jungle-fowl has the ear-lappet red, whereas 
the Indian bird has it whitish or pinkish. 
Family TETRAONID^. 
Subfamily PEHDICIN^.. 
Genus FRANCOLINUS, Ste])h. 
679. FRANCOLINUS CHINENSIS. 
THE CHINESE FBANCOLIN. 
Tetrao chinensis, Osh. Voy. ii. p. 326. Tetrao perlatus, Gm. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 758. 
Francolinus phayrei, Bl. J. A. S. B. xii. p. 1011, xxiv. p. 480 ; id. B. Burm. 
p. 149. Francolinus cliinensis, Hume, Nests ^ Egc/s, p. 539 ; id. S. F. iii. 
p. 171 ; WardlaiD Ramsay, Ihis, 1877; p. 468 ; Oates, S. F. v. p. 164; David et 
Oust. Ois. Chine, p, 400 ; Hume ^ Dav. 8. F. vi. p. 443 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. Ill j 
Hume ^ Ma7'sh. Game Birds, ii. p. 27 , pi. ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 236. Francolinus 
perlatus, Anders. Yunnan Fx^jed. p. 672. 
Description. — Male. A broad band over the crown black_, each feather 
edged with chestnut ; a band from the bill over the eyes and ear-coverts 
black ; the spaces between these and the coronal band chestnut j a band 
from the angle of the bill down the sides of the throat black; the space 
between these and the superciliary streaks white ; chin and throat white ; 
y2 
