229 



THE COMMON GUINEA FOWL. 



Numida mtleagris LINNAEUS. 

 PLATE XXIX. 



Numida meleagris, Linnaeus, Latham Peintade, Buffbn. 

 Peintade Meldagride, Temminck, Pigeons et Gallinacis % 

 ii. p. 431. Guinea Pintado, Latham, General History. 

 rili. p. 144. 



THIS beautiful but rather clumsily formed bird is 

 very generally known. As its name proclaims, it is 

 a native principally of the Guinea coast, although it 

 is also found in various other parts of Africa, and is 

 mentioned by both Sparman and Le Vaillant as oc- 

 curring near the Cape of Good Hope. They are 

 difficult to raise from the ground, but, when pressed, 

 fly with a powerful flight, and for a considerable 

 distance. They live in flocks, the amount of their 

 broods, but at some seasons assemble in hundreds, 

 when their noise in going to roost upon the tree* 

 is grating, and almost stunning. In this country 

 they are kept in the poultry- yard, both for the 

 sake of their young and eggs ; but being very 

 quarrelsome to other poultry, and possessing great 

 strength, they have often to be sacrificed to the pre- 

 servation of the rest, or to be separately confined. 



