48 FRIENDS OF THE AGRICULTURIST 



It is exceedingly common in the tracts of bush-country 

 from the Eastern Cape Colony northwards to the Zam- 

 besi. In the neighbourhood of Brandfort, Orange Kiver 

 Colony, it is very plentiful amongst some of the mimosa 

 belts and forms a favourite item in the sportsman's bag. 



It is now also common in the eucalyptus plantations 

 on the Band. 



The Crowned Guinea-Fowl is a bird that will appear 

 and gradually increase in a neighbourhood for some 

 years, and then suddenly die out. From the examina- 

 tion of specimens shot, the cause of the disappearance 

 is probably partial extermination by the wire-worm so 

 common in ostrich veld. About ten years ago these 

 birds were plentiful in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 Grahamstown ; prior to that they had not been seen for 

 some years. Recently they have gradually increased 

 again. The nest photographed was taken at Belmont, 

 and while exposing the plate several young actually 

 hatched out. Before many hours had elapsed the W 7 hole 

 brood had left the nest. 



The Guinea-Fowl lays its eggs, pale brown in colour 

 thickly speckled with darker pin-points, in a depression 

 in the ground under a small bush or tuft of long grass. 



It runs swiftly and does not rise very readily, conse- 

 quently shooting it in thick thorn bush is often no easy 

 matter, as plenty of hard running and a little strategy 

 are necessary to procure it. 



.It takes readily to confinement and is often found on 

 the farms in a domesticated condition. 



The ordinary tame farmyard bird differs in having a 

 white breast, white wing quills, and in its smaller size. 



The Crested Guinea-Fowl (Guttera edouardi) has the 

 very distinguishing characteristic of a large tuft of curly 

 black feathers on the crown. 



