Although a few of the black and the gray francolins from West 
Pakistan were released in several southwestern States as early as 1955 
it was not until five years later that large numbers of wild-trapped 
birds became available to States cooperating with the Bureau's Foreign 
Game Introduction Program. Between 1969 and 1963, 5,155 wild-caught 
and 716 hand-raised black francolins, predominantly F. f£. asiae, were 
liberated in 12 States, mainly in the Southeast and in Guam. During the 
same period 5,911 gray francolins (F. p. interpositus), wild trapped in 
Northern India and 683, hand-raised in Texas, were liberated by State 
Conservation Commissions mostly in Hawaii, Guam and the Southwest. 
Francolin introductions carried out by States cooperating with the 
Bureau's Foreign Game Introduction Program are listed and discussed in 
Special Scientific Report - Wildlife No. 80 (11). Previous to release, 
State wildlife biologists were provided with a factual analysis of the 
habitat types to which the birds were adapted in their native range, 
thus minimizing the probability of liberation in unsuitable cover. 
A period of at least 5 to 10 years is required to evaluate the 
results of such trial introductions. Current indications suggest that 
the northern black francolin (F. £. asiae) is doing remarkably well in 
two areas in Louisiana and is at least holding its own in one area in 
Florida and in South Carolina. The northern gray francolin (F. p. 
interpositus) has apparently become established in several parts of 
Hawaii, and is maintaining its numbers on two areas in Nevada. Both 
are also reported from Guam. Results of liberations elsewhere are as 
yet indeterminate, with some failures recorded principally from sections 
of the country where temperatures couwmonly fall well below freezing 
in winter and snow is not uncomnon. 

THE FRANCOLINS OF SOUTHERN ASIA 
This report is primarily concerned with those francolins of south- 
ern Asia that occupy habitat whose main characteristics are not unlike 
those in the United States in which new game birds are desired. Of the 
five species resident in Asia, three were eliminated from furthar con- 
sideration rather quickly by Program biologists. The swamp francolin 
(F. gularis) was not particularly abundant even in its wet, tall-grass 
habitat, the counterparts of which are of Limited occurrence in the 
States. The painted francolin (F. pictus) thrives where temperatures, 
both winter and sumner, are generally warmer than is characteristic even 
of the Southwest. Since the Chinese francolin (F. pintadeanus) was 
found mainly east of India, in zones of increasingly heavy precipitation, 
it was not practical to evaluate its potentialities in detail while 
working in the Indian subcontinent. Thus attention was concentrated on 
the black and the gray francolins both of which are abundant, easily 
trappable over most of their extensive range, and occupy habitat and 
elimatic niches found commonly either in southern or in southwestern 
United States. 
