A FAVOURITE BULB. i$ 



manifests when the ducklings she has hatched leave 

 her protecting care to indulge their natural proclivities 

 for swimming and dabbling in the nearest accessible 

 water. Now, the young guinea fowl has a peculiarity 

 in its nature which very much disagrees with its 

 foster parents' wishes ; for, instead of being satisfied 

 to roost under her maternal wings, as soon as the 

 young bird has been furnished by nature with the 

 smallest powers of flight, nothing will satisfy it but 

 to pass its time of rest upon the highest roosting-place 

 in the neighbourhood. 



The South African guinea fowl in its native state 

 is wonderfully prolific, for it seldom lays less than 

 fifteen eggs, and often the number exceeds twenty ; 

 they are a beautiful pale buff colour, and are speckled 

 with pale gray. One variety alone I have met with 

 here which has been named Numida cornuta by 

 Finch and Hartlaub, and Numida mitrata by Layard. 

 Their food consists of grass, seeds and insects, more 

 especially grasshoppers ; they also appear specially 

 fond of a small bulbous root, not unlike that of the 

 snowdrop, to which all the gallinaceous birds show 

 great partiality, and which also is an especial favourite 

 with both Bushmen and Bechuanas. 



