NUMIDA CORONATA. 



COMMON GUINEA-FOWL. 



(Plate 37, Fig. a.) 



Nvmida corotiata, Gray, List of Birds, PI. iii. Gall., p. 29 (1844) 

 Sharpe's ed. Lavard Birds of R. Afr., pp. 581, 854 (part) (1875-84) ; 

 Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 108 (1892) ; Ogilvie- 

 Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxii, p. 376 (1893) ; Woodward, 

 Natal Birds, p. 165 (1899) ; Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 441 

 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., ni, p. 355 (1905) ; Sclater 

 and Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p 227 (1906). 



Local Najies. " Tarantal " of the Dutch ; " Impangelc " of the 

 Amaxosa and Zulus (Woodward). 



Desceiption. Length of the male about 24 in. The sexes are alike. 

 Weight of a well-grown bird just over 31b. 



Distribution. The range of this bird extends all over the eastern 

 half of Cape Colony and Natal and northwards to the Zambesi, 

 where it merges into the East African N. mitrata ; to the west its 

 range overlaps that of the closely allied N. papulosa. 



I have shot or seen this species in many parts of the Transvaal ; 

 it is common near Potchefstroom and along the banks of the 

 Modder River, and in fact in most suitable places in the Orange 

 River Colony. I have also seen it in the Kalahari Desert in 

 great numbers. 



GuiNEA-FowL are very gregarious, and are sometimes found 

 in enormous flocks. I saw one near Zeerust which must have 

 consisted of at least 500 birds. They range over a huge 

 tract of country, and a flock may have its headquarters on 

 one farm and work backwards and forwards some miles to 

 another farm, where the food is suitable. 



In the Fauna of South Africa it is stated that althougli 

 often kept tame on farms, it never breeds in captivity nor 



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