(i A L L I N I D JE. 



ridge, divide the Chinese livers iioui those that How 

 westward to the central lakes. 



CREPTONYX crested pigeon of Latham. The 

 birds of this genus are of small size, not exceeding 

 that of the common quail. Thev are inhabitants of 

 India and the eastern islands, Iwt they are hiding 

 birds of the margins of the close jungles, and little is 

 known of their manners. As this species (for there 

 is only one species known with certainty) bears some 

 resemblance to birds of several genera, it has been 

 called by different names, such as the green partridge, 

 the green grouse, and some others ; but its generic 

 characters do not warrant its union with any of these. 

 The characters are : the bill stout, strong, and com- 

 pressed ; the two mandibles of equal length ; the 

 edges of the upper one straight, except a little curva- 

 ture towards the point. The nostrils longitudinal, 

 placed in the middle of each side of the base of the 

 upper mandible, and partially covered with a naked 

 membrane. There are three toes turned to the front, 

 partially to their bases with a small membrane, and 

 the hind toe is without p claw, articulated high on 

 the tarsus, and does not touch the ground in walking. 

 The tarsi are long, and without any spurs in the male ; 

 the wings are short, rounded, and hollow, the first 

 quill is very short, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth are 

 the longest in the wing. The known species, 



Creptojiyx crislata, inhabits the Sunda islands, and 

 also many parts of the south of Continental Asia. 

 The upper parts are of a bright green colour. Six 

 black feathery bristles rise in the form of a ruff on the 

 front ; the top of the head is white, but furnished 

 with long plumes of a reddish colour, which form a 

 loose crest inclining over the occiput. The cheeks 

 and neck are black ; the coverts of the wings brown 

 of various shades, varied with russet and black. The 

 under parts are blackish violet ; the bill greyish above 

 and fawn-coloured on the under side ; the hides yel- 

 low, and the feet fawn-coloured. The tail is of mean 

 length, and carried flat, not folded together as in poul- 

 try. The female is of a dull green colour on the upper 

 part ; the naked skin round the eyes is reddish ; the 

 wings resemble those of the male, but are less bright 

 in the colours. The under parts are blackish brown, 

 and the feet are reddish. This last circumstance has 

 caused the sexes to be described as separate species ; 

 but the truth respecting them is now pretty well as- 

 certained. A smaller species of a red and yellow 

 colour, between five and six inches in length, while 

 the green one is about ten inches, has occurred as a 

 museum specimen, and been reported to be from the 

 Guzerat, or rather from that extensive tract of ground 

 near the Runners of Cutch, which is seasonally flooded, 

 . and which is at other times so very rich in ground 

 birds of various genera ; but we believe nothing is 

 known with certainty respecting this bird, as to even 

 where it came from, or whether it be or be not an 

 accidental variety. 



The species which we have hitherto enumerated 

 may be said to comprise one of the natural groups of 

 the gallinidse with regard to geographical distribution. 

 In a native state they are not found to the westward 

 of the Persian mountains, or of that cross ridge in 

 central Asia to which we have alluded ; for though 

 the common pheasant is described as having been 

 brought from Colchis, the probability is that it was 

 tin imported species there, and it does not appear to 

 liave been found in the west of Asia further to the 

 south. Those Asiatic birds excel all the rest of the 



order in the beauty of their plumage, in the form of 

 their bodies, and in the boldness and pugnacity of the 

 male birds, both in their affairs of honour "and in, 

 defence of the females and young. There arc dif- 

 ferences of flavour and other qualities in the flesh ; 

 but all the species are not only eatable, but whole- 

 some, and, generally speaking, superior. The more 

 they are in a state of nature, the flesh has always a 

 finer flavour, but it is more tender, and also more 

 abundant when they are domesticated. There are 

 also degrees of hardiness among them, especially on 

 their introduction into climates colder than their na- 

 tive ones ; but still they are all what might be consi- 

 dered hardy birds ; and there is probably no species 

 of them but which might be introduced with advan- 

 tage into all climates, excepting those which have the 

 very extreme of severity. They are all polygamous ; 

 their broods are numerous ; and as in polygamous 

 animals, the number of females always exceeds that of 

 the males ; they are equally valuable for their eggs 

 as for their flesh ; and on both these accounts, as well 

 as on account of their beauty, they are eminently 

 deserving of attention. There still remain several 

 genera to be noticed, as birds of the warmer climates 

 of Africa and America, before we come to speak of 

 those of the cold and temperate regions of the north- 

 ern hemisphere. 



GUINEA FOWL (Jfunada). This is originally an 

 African species, or at least a native of the south west 

 of Asia only, in addition to the African continent. It 

 has however been pretty generally introduced into 

 various parts of Europe, Asia, and America, as a do- 

 mestic bird. In a domesticated state, the Guinea 

 owl (which is also called the pintado) is not so pro- 

 fitable as the common fowl, chiefly because the fe- 

 males are much less attentive to their young, and the 

 number bred with the same labour is consequently 

 smaller. 



The characters of this bird are : The bill short and 

 stout ; the upper mandible curved, convex, arched in 

 the culmen, and covered at the base by a warty 

 membrane ; there is a sort of carunculated wattle 

 suspended from the under mandible, and the nostrils 

 are placed in the membrane, at the base of the upper 

 mandible, and half covered by cartilage ; the head 

 is generally naked, or thinly scattered with a few 

 hairs, and with a strong callus, or horny crest. Some 

 of the species however, which we shall notice after- 

 wards, are distinguished by crests of feathers ; the 

 tarsi are smooth, and the feet have four toes, three to 

 the front, which are united to their bases by a short 

 membrane, and one in the rear articulated higher 

 up on the tarsus than the front ones ; the tail short, 

 and drooping towards the ground, the external fea- 

 thers on both sides being very short, and gradually 

 increasing in length to the fourth on each side ; 

 there are at least three species, if we admit the pos- 

 session of a crest of feathers as a sufficient distinction, 

 and the common species, as is the case with most of 

 the domesticated gallinidse, is broken into several co- 

 loured varieties, which do not however appear to be 

 deserving of particular notice, at least as species. 



The common Guinea fowl (N. meleagris) has the 

 body greyish blue, sprinkled with small white spots ; 

 head and" upper part of the neck naked, a conical 

 tubercle, with its tip reflexed on the crown, and a 

 broad geminated membrane near the gape. One 

 variety has the breast white, and another has the 

 whole body whitish, with rounded white spots: other 



