THE HELMETED GUINEA-FOWLS. 87 
on the hind-neck, that of the lower-neck milky-white. Total 
length, 19 inches ; wing, 8°7; tail, 6; tarsus, 2°9. 
Adult Female.—Similar to the male, but devoid of spurs. 
Range.—West Africa, from Liberia to Gaboon. 
Like the Black Guinea-Fowl, this is one of the rarest birds 
in European collections, and up to the present time nothing is 
known regarding its habits. Mr. Biittikofer obtained several 
examples during his expeditions to Liberia, but these were 
bought from natives, who trap them in the bush-paths. Accord- 
ing to native report, the Turkey-like Guinea-Fowl, though well- 
known, is very rare everywhere. 
THE HELMETED GUINEA-FOWLS. GENUS NUMIDA. 
Numida, Linn. S. N. i. p. 273 (1766). 
Type. WV. meleagris, Linn. 
Head and neck zaked ; a more or less elevated Lony helmet 
covering the top of the head; a pair of wattles situated, one on 
each side, behind the angles of the gape. 
Tail fairly long and somewhat rounded, composed of sixteen 
feathers, the middle pair being rather longer than the outer 
pair. Upper tail-coverts almost extending to the end of the tail. 
First primary flight-feather shorter than the second, which is 
about equal to the tenth ; fifth slightly the longest. 
Ln all the species the general colour of plumage is black, spotted 
with white*,; the outer secondary quills zot white on the outer 
web. 
Sexes similar in plumage. 
I. THE COMMON HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL. NUMIDA 
MELEAGRIS, 
Numida meleagris, Linn. S. N. i. p. 273 (1766) ; Gray, Gen. 
Birds, ili, p. 501, pl. 128, fig. 2 (1845) ; Elliot, Monogr. 
Phasian. ul. pl. 39 (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. 
Mus. xxii. p. 375 (1893). 
* The white spots appear to be absent on the upper-parts of WV. zechi. 
