Birds of Gambia. 
331 
Birds of Gambia. 
By E. Hopkinson, D.fc'.O., M.A., M.B.. 
(Contitiued from pagle 296. 
F. ulhigularis. WHITE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. 
Range West Africa; Gambia; Casamance (Ogilvie Grant). 
These liaiiasome Praucolius are much more locally distributed 
than the common " Wallo " and are never found in ooveys of any 
size, but usually in pairs, rarely some four or five together. They 
also prefer rather thicker cover than their larger relatives and 
but rarely visit the rice-fields and swamps, but frequent patches 
of fairly dense bush, along the edges of wliich one fneets with them, 
and from which they never venture far, and into which they retreat 
when aisturb't'd. In their other habits, food and flight, they re- 
semble bicalcaratus, but compared with that species they must be 
considered rather rare birds here, as in (say) a year's bag ,of 
Bushfowl over the whole country, the White-thi'oated Francolins or 
" rartridg\3S " (as they are often called here) will not amount to 
more than about lu/o, and even in districts where they do occur, 
they are confined to certain limited areas. 
In size they are considerably smaller than the common Bush- 
fowl, measuring about 9 niches in length, but are much handsomer 
birds with their bright chestnut markings and yellow legs. The 
sexes dilier, the male being a rich chestnut slightly marked with 
black above, bright uniform bull below and having a large area on 
the chin and throat white, while the female is above a, duller chest- 
nut more flecked with black feather-streaks than her mate and dull 
fawn mottled with brown below, the fawn extending on to the 
throat and leaving a comparatively small white area there. In 
both sexes the flights are chestnut, the lags gamboge yellow and 
armed with spurs, a pair in the male, single in the female. 
F. ahanta. AHANTA FRANCOLIN. 
liang'e. West Africa, Gambia to Nigeria. 
This is the largest of our Francolins and differs considerably 
from the otliers in its haunts and habits. It is never met with in 
coveys, but only in pairs or singly ana is absolutely confined to 
thick bush or Jungle, always near water, so that it is but seldom 
shot, though I think it occurs in suitable localities all over the Pro- 
tectorate, but is nowhere really common. Its cry is a deeper and 
more guttural one than that of the " Wallo," and unlike thait bird 
it habitually perches on trees. It is known here by the Mandingoes 
as the Sutokono Wallo, i.e., the Forest Bushfowl. 
Its general plumage is of the game-bird pattern, but the 
browns are duller and darker than usual. Its distinctive features,, 
besides its size, are the strong orange-pi,nk legs and beak. Its 
length is about 15 inches. The iris is sepia brown. 
F. lathami. LATHAM'S FRANCOLIN. 
