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.
F orm, &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 commencement
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
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
In the adult female the colours are nearly similar to those of the male.
She is readily to be distinguished from the latter, by wanting the spur of the
tarsus.
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 1831,1 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 F ra n co lin u s, and referred to it all the Cape species,
on account of the males being supplied with one or more spurs to the tar.si, yet I am nevertheless
convinced it will eventually be found necessary to sink that subgenus, as permanent characters
are not to be found which will enable us to distinguish female Francolins from Partridges.
South African Species
Francolinus clamator Temm.
Francolinus midcollis Temm.
Francolinus Afer Temm.
Francolinus Levaillantii Lesson.
Francolinus Swainsonii Sm ith .
of the Genus.
Francolinus pileatus Sm ith .
Francolinus Natalensis Sm ith .
Francolinus subtorquatus Sm ith .
Francolinus Gariepensis* Sm ith .
Francolinus adspersus Waterhouse.
A figure of this species will be given in an early number.