Francolinus jacksoni patriciae Ripley & Bond

Francolinus jacksoni patriciae

HOLOTYPE.—USNM 519109. Adult male, Sondhang, central Cherangani Mountains, altitude 10,600 feet, western Kenya. 20 May 1965. Collected by A. D. Forbes-Watson. Original no. 1483.

DIAGNOSIS.—Similar in general coloration to Francolinus jacksoni jacksoni Ogilvie-Grant, but differs in having the brown markings on the underparts paler and reduced to narrow, elongated, tear-shaped streaks surrounding the central shaft of each feather, tending toward an oval shape on the upper breast and becoming more elongated ventrally. The broad creamy white edgings are wider than the brown central streaks and occupy an area more than half the width of the feather from the shaft to the edge. This is in contrast to the narrow white edgings on the underparts of F. j. jacksoni, which occupy less than half the width of the feather. This new subspecies differs further from F. j. jacksoni in having the top of the head paler and more tawny, less brown, and in having the gray mantle of the upperparts paler and more extensive caudally. The lower abdomen and under tail-coverts are grayer, less brownish than typical jacksoni. The colors of the unfeathered parts are as follows: iris clear brown, eyelid orange red, bare patch behind eyes dull yellow, bill dark red, feet dark orange red, toes dusky, and spurs blackish.

In addition to the type, which has a wing measurement of 227 mm, two other males, collected on the same day, have the wing 230 and 233 mm. Each male has a single pair of spurs ranging in length from 9.5 to 15 mm. The type specimen has an additional pair of undeveloped spurs, indicated by swollen knobs on the upper rear of the tarso-metatarsus. Hall (1963:133) makes the comment that males of jacksoni usually have two spurs, although the upper one is poorly developed.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED (all in USNM collection).—F. j. patriciae: Cherangani Mountains, three males (including type). F. j. jacksoni: Aberdares Mountains, three males and three females; Mount Kenya, one female.

RANGE.—Restricted to the central Cherangani Mountains above 10,000 feet. The nominate race occurs on Mount Kenya, the Aberdares Mountains, Mau, and other suitably high areas of central Kenya in montane forests, bamboo, or grassy slopes, at altitudes ranging from 7–10,000 feet.

This new subspecies is named in honor of Mrs. B.P. Hall, of the British Museum (Natural History_, in recognition of her contribution to our knowledge of speciation in the Francolins.