FRANCOLINUS NATALENSIS. 
towards the angles of the mouth greenish yellow ; the remainder of the bill 
intermediate, between yellow and reddish orange. Legs, toes, claws, and 
spurs orange yellow ; eyes dark brown. 
Form, &c. — Typical. Bill moderately thick, and the upper mandible 
considerably longer than the lower, rather broad and flattened at the tip, 
culmen strongly arched. First quill-feather rudimentary, the fifth, sixth and 
seventh of equal length, and longest; the fourth, third, and second diminish 
successively in length. Wings, when folded, reach to about the commence- 
ment of the second-third of the tail. The tail is slightly rounded. Legs and 
toes strong ; the hinder part of the tarsus above the spur is covered with two 
rows of moderately large and nearly circular scales. Spur single, rather 
short, and situated nearer to the hinder toe than to the knee-joint. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. Lines. 
Length from the point of the bill to the 
tip of the tail 13 6 
of the bill from the angle of 
the mouth 1 3 
of the wings when folded 6 8 
In the adult female the colours are 
She is readily to be distinguished from 
tarsus. 
Inches. Lines. 
Length of the tail 3 6 
of the tarsus 2 8 
of the middle toe 1 0 
of the hinder toe 0 5 
nearly similar to those of the male, 
the latter, by wanting the spur of the 
Specimens of this species were found, though not in great numbers, on the banks of several of 
the rivers towards the tropic of Capricorn. They appeared only to frequent the jungle, and 
wherever they were disturbed in localities where the bush was scanty, they instantly retreated 
towards situations better calculated for concealment. 
In 1831, I found specimens of the same species, both to the eastward and westward of Port 
Natal, and in those situations no individuals were ever seen beyond the jungle ; the present, 
like the other South African species, feeds upon small bulbs, seeds, and insects, and generally 
roosts during the night upon trees. 
Though I have adopted the subgenus Francolinus, and referred to it all the Cape species, 
on account of the males being supplied with one or more spurs to the tarsi, yet I am neverthe- 
less convinced it will eventually be found necessary to sink that subgenus, as permanent charac- 
ters are not to be found which will enable us to distinguish female Francolins from Partridges. 
South African 
Francolinus clamator Temm. 
Francolinus midcollis Temm. 
Francolinus Afer Temm. 
Francolinus Levaillantii Lesson. 
Francolinus Swainsonii Smith. 
of the Genus. 
Francolinus pileatus Smith. 
Francolinus Natalensis Smith. 
Francolinus subtorquatus Smith. 
Francolinus Gariepensis* Smith. 
Francolinus adspersus Waterhouse. 
Species 
* A figure of this species will be given in an early number. 
