THE IIELMETED GUINEA-FOWI.S. 



91 



round the base of the neck more or less barred with narrow 

 black and white bands ; basal part of hchiiet red. Naked 

 skin on the sides of head and neck pale blue. Wattle pale 

 blue, tipped with red. Total length, about 20 inches ; wing, 

 Ti'5 ; tail, 6*4 ; tarsus, 3-1 ; middle toe (with claw), 2-85. 



Range. — Eastern South Africa, extending, so far as is at 

 present known, from the shores of the Zambesi to Cape 

 Colony. 



Habits. — Until recently this fine Guinea-Fowl was considered 

 identical with the East African Bird, which has now been se- 

 parated under the name of N. reichenoivi. It has also been 

 confounded by many authors w^ith the larger N. jnaruHge?isis 

 from Benguela and Marungu, and with N. coniuta from 

 Damara-land. The habits of the Large-Helmeted Guinea-Fowl 

 have never been very fully described, but appear to be very 

 similar to those of the allied Western forms. Mr. Ayres tells us 

 that in Natal they are gregarious, and generally found among 

 scrubby bush on the borders of streams and rivers. They lun 

 very rapidly, and in open ground a person on foot would 

 stand but a poor chance of running them down. In cover 

 they lie very close indeed, and require a good dog to find 

 them ; when found, they will frequently fly up into the lower 

 boughs of any convenient bush or tree. They are naturally 

 very tame and easily domesticated, and may be seen thus at 

 any farmstead; in some instances they come regularly to feed 

 with the poultry. 



Eggs. — Like those of A^ meleagris, but considerably smaller 

 and rounder in shape. Measurements, 1-7 by 1-4 inch. 



IV. REICHENOW'S LARGE-HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL. 

 NUMIDA REICHENO\VI. 



Ahimida corojiafa, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 



376 (1893) [part.; E. Africa]. 

 Niimida reichenoivi, Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1894, p. 535, fig. i. 

 Adult. — Distinguished from N, coronata by having the large 



