AFRICAN REPTILES AND BIRDS 



a regular cloud of the birds against the sky, into which 

 flock I fired twice at random, for it was not light enough 

 to take an accurate aim. Detailing two men to remain on 

 the place until after the sun had risen, and then to pick up 

 the birds that had been killed, we continued our trip for 

 the day. Imagine my surprise when, on returning to the 

 camp in the late afternoon, I found that the boys had 

 picked up not less than twelve birds, which formed a very 

 welcome and appetizing addition to our menu for Satur- 

 day night and Sunday. 



There are several species of the guinea fowl in Africa, 

 most of them distinguished by quite a high and bony 

 helmet on top of the head and by stiff wattles, which stand 

 out at an angle of about forty-five degrees from the begin- 

 ning of the gap. The plumage of the common East Afri- 

 can guinea fowl is blackish blue with small, almost round, 

 white spots, while certain varieties have a couple of white 

 feathers in each wing. There also exists a species of 

 crested guinea fowl, although I was not fortunate enough 

 to secure any of them during my trips. 



Among other very common game birds are the de- 

 licious wild geese and ducks of different kinds, abundant 

 in most of the rivers. Then the tiny snipe, and an in- 

 numerable number of quail, which sometimes succeed in 

 frightening the men as they go buzzing up like skyrockets 

 at their very feet. I never saw the men more surprised 

 than when I succeeded in shooting down these swift quail 

 before they had gotten more than a few yards away from 

 where they rose out of the grass. There are certainly 

 enough game birds in Africa to make this country a 



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