Game Birds of South Africa. 35 



distance from the shooters they go along at a very great pace, 

 which would never have been expected judging from their 

 appearance, and give very difficult shooting. 



After having been almost completely exterminated in 

 various parts of the Eastern Province these birds have 

 increased very largely again since the invasion of South 

 Africa by locusts. They are very partial to the insects 

 either in the winged or wingless stage and to the eggs. 

 Against a steep ridge running for some miles between the 

 Small Brak River and " Doornberg," in the district of 

 Middelburg, Cape Colony, on my brother's farm " Conway," 

 the prevailing winds from the north blowing over a great 

 extent of Karroo Plains have banked up fine red sand over a 

 considerable area. This sand is a favourite laying place for 

 the locusfs, and the Guinea Fowl from Doornberg and from 

 the mimosa scrub on Conway are constantly to be found 

 there after the locusts have deposited their eggs, and they 

 scratch so vigorously that I have seen the dust from the 

 scratchings of a big flock at least a mile away. Their food 

 much resembles that of the Grey-wing Partridge, as they eat 

 the same bulbs and insects, and are great pests in the grain 

 lands in some parts where they happen to be very plentiful. 

 Their scratchings can be distinguished from that of 

 Partridges by being deeper and covering a larger area. Dogs, 

 except Terriers, are not of much use for hunting Guinea 

 Fowl, and they easily ruin Pointers and Setters which have 

 not been thoroughly trained, as it is most disturbing for an 

 excitable young dog to get on to a bird with so strong a scent 

 and then see it running in front of him. The dog is almost 

 certain to chase and will not listen to voice or whistle. A 

 steady old Pointer or Setter, however, will put them up one 

 by one when they have squatted and is then very useful, as 

 without a dog the birds will allow themselves to be almost 

 trodden upon without moving. 



They nest in thick bush or scrub, and I have found nests 

 hidden among the exposed roots of a gum-tree. Their nests 

 are very like that of a common fowl and are very carefully 

 hidden. The eggs, generally twelve to eighteen in nuiiiixT, 



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