124 THE HOME POULTRY. BOOK 
as they endure confinement with some degree of 
patience. 
Gray African geese are good layers and excellent 
for the table, as the meat is fine-grained. They can 
be made to weigh eight pounds in ten weeks, so that 
they rival the Pekin duck. Many breeders find 
them profitable. Geese have strong lungs and are 
prone to exercise them when startled or when stran- 
gers approach. Sometimes this is an advantage; 
every schoolboy knows that a flock of geese once 
saved Rome. 
When it comes to noise, however, the guinea 
fowl claims attention. Its raucous cry may be 
heard a long distance and often unpleasantly early 
in the morning. But then, even the gorgeous pea- 
cock offends in this way. It often happens, too, 
that the cry of the guinea fowl is not to be deplored, 
for it is highly effective in keeping away hawks and 
may be depended upon to give the alarm if intruders 
attempt to enter the poultry house at night. 
Guineas are being grown in increasing numbers be- 
cause of the demand created by high-class hotels, 
clubs and restaurants. Game has become scarce 
and guinea chickens are the best substitute which 
has been discovered. Formerly they masqueraded 
