Birds of Gambia. 37 



Birds of Gambia. 



By E. Hoi'KiNsox, D.S.O., M.A., Af.B. 

 Conliiiurd from p;ii?e 333, Vol. III. 



Nmmda mclranrif^. COMMON GUTNE.AFOWL.. 



Rancye. West Africa, Scnegambia, through Ashantee to 

 Gaboon; C. Verde Ts. ; .\nnobon ; St. Thomas* Island. (O. Grant). 



Guiiieafowl ai-e common in locaUties which suit them. These 

 in the Gambia are usually near the banki of the river, where thick 

 bush and high trees abound, and if such a place is backed by a 

 tract of ironstcne country, it is a sure find for them. As such spots 

 are much more frequent in the upper half of our river, and as of 

 course the river water, on which they depend so much, is fresh 

 there, it follows that Guineafowl are very much more common there 

 than lower doA\n nearer the coast. 



During tlie heat of the day they keep to the shelter of the 

 busli h\\\ in tlic nio niiigs and evenings sally forth on to the cul- 

 tivation round their haunts to feed. They are always found in 

 parties, often of large size, and as a rule are most regular in their 

 habits, fo: wherever they occur they can usually be found in certain 

 particular- spots at certain hours of the day. They always commence 

 the daj^ almost before daylight, with a drink, then they move slowly 

 on foot to their feeding grounds; by 10 a.m. they; retire to the 

 bush, to emerge again about 3 or 4 o'clock (according to the sea- 

 son) an 1 re-visit the open, finishing the day by a flight to the river 

 for a last drink, after which they retire for the night to the dense 

 bush along the river's edge, piassava growth being a most favourite 

 roosting-place, as once there they are unapproacliable by man and 

 most beasts. 



Guineafowl are so well known domesticated that description 

 is unnecessavy, though I may note that in the young all the feathers 

 of the upper parts have brown ends, giving these parts an appear- 

 ance of be'ni' washed witji l)iown, while the head is the same colour 

 marked wi(h two longitudinal black streaks. 



Their native names are Kammo in Mandingo, and Nat in 

 Joloff. 



In the very upper river one occasionally sees a few Black- 

 crested Guineafowl, which I suppose are G. cristata, in captivity. 

 Tliis bird is rather smaller than the common species. Its general 

 colour is black spotted with pale blue-grey and it has a long tuft 

 of culling black feathers on the head and a black collar of similar 

 but shorter feathers encircling the back and sides of the neck. The 

 chin and throat are red. the other bare parts blue. I have been 

 told that these birds are occasionally found wild in a few places in 

 the Upper Iliver, but all I have seen have been brought in by peo- 

 ple flora Futa Jallon or elsewhere from the south. 



Pterocles guadridnctus. AFRICAN PAINTED SAND -GROUSE 



