566 FULICA ATRA. 



while at some distance for a great flock of Guinea Fowls. 

 Their movements were brisk, they often struck at each other 

 in the manner of the domestic fowl, and ran with surprising 

 celerity. As I approached nearer, I plainly saw them nibble 

 the tender grass, in the same manner as poultry ; and having 

 found a place of concealment behind a rise of the ground, I 

 laid myself flat, and observed their motions at leisure ; but 

 during twenty minutes spent in that situation, I did not hear 

 a single note from the flock. I fired among them and killed 

 five ; on which the rest, after running a few steps, all rose and 

 flew off with speed towards the river, mounted high in the 

 air, came curving over me, their legs hanging behind, their 

 wings producing a constant whir, and at length alighted on a 

 narrow channel between the shore, where I was, and a small 

 island. Following them with caution, I got sufficiently near 

 to some of them to be able to see them leap from the water to 

 seize the young leaves of the willows that overhung the 

 shores. While swimming, they moved with ease, although 

 not with much speed, and used a constantly repeated move- 

 ment of the head and neck, corresponding to that of the feet. 

 Now, twenty or thirty of them would close their ranks, and 

 swim up the stream in a lengthened body, when they would 

 disperse, and pick up the floating substances, not one of them 

 diving all the time. On firing at a large group of them that 

 had approached me, they started off in various directions, 

 patting the Avater with their feet, and rushing with extended 

 wings, for thirty or forty yards, but without actually flying." 



Young. — When fledged, the young have the bill of a 

 greyish-green ; the frontal plate, which is very small, being 

 of the same colour ; the iris brown ; the feet dusky-green, the 

 upper parts are dark green, the lower light dull brownish-grey. 



Progress towards Maturity. — After the first autumnal 

 moult, the bill is still dusky, and the frontal plate greenish. 

 The upper parts are more grey, the low r er pure ash-grey ; 

 the head and upper part of the neck blackish-grey. In spring 

 the frontal plate becomes white, and the yellow band appears 

 on the tibia. 



