TIIK GUINEA FOWL, 



lrt of the back they are bronze-green bonded with block and p-ld . and towards tin- tail the 

 en assumes :i llashim: emerald Inn-, ami tin- gold band lui-miif. \vid.-r and darker ilh li.'i > 

 !. like tin- throat of tin- ruby -thioated humming-bird. Tin- tail -co verts are furnished witli 

 l>ld ' : their tips, and the IOXMT parts of the body are also l<ronze-green and black. 



but without tin- bistre of tin- up|>er parts. Tin- primary f. | tin- xxings are black edged 



xiith xxhite. and tin- secondaries have the outer webs wholly white. The greater coverts are 

 rich chestnut, ami the legs and feet are lake. In size this bird is rather .smaller than the 

 common Tuikex . 



The M. \ic in or Honduras Turkey is a variety of the Western Wild Turkey, differing in 

 the coloration and .strength of metallic gloss. In this liird the black, sub-terminal nine of the 

 tail has a more or less distinct metallic bronzing. The tips of the upper tail-coverts have a 

 pale ochraceoiis. instead of pure white. 



Thi- x-irietx is the one from which our domestic Turkey originated, and not the one found 

 in t lie eastern parts of the I'nited State-. 



Professor Raird says of the history of this bird as a dotnestic one: "So involved in 

 obscurity is tin- early history of the Turkey, and so ignorant do the writers of the sixteenth 

 century apju-ar to have lieen alMiut it, that they have regarded it as a bird known to the ancients 

 by the name mflriiifris uvally the (iuinea Fowl, or Pintado), a mistake which was not cleared 

 up till the middle of tl ..... k'hteenth century. The appellation of Turkey which this bird bears 

 in Kngland arose from the sup|>osition that the bird came originally from the country of that 

 name, an idea entirely erroiieou-. as it oxves its origin to the New Worlil. Mexico was first 

 discovered by ft rigalva in 1518. Oveido speaks of the Turkey as a kind of Peacock abounding 

 in New Spain, which had already, in I.V_>t5. U-en trans|H>rted in a domestic state to the West 

 India Klands and the Spani-li Main, where it was kept by the Christian colonists. It is re|M>rt-d 

 t< have |.een introduced into England in 1541. In 157H it had In-come the Christmas fare of 

 the farmer." 



It is stated that zoological gardens wen- kept in Mexico at the time of the Conquest, and 

 that then wild Turk -\ - \\.-iv led out to the animals, so abundant were they. It is thought 

 that these birds were then domesticated, and had been, perhaps, a long time previously, and 

 that they were introduced into Kurope about the fii-st of the sixteenth century. 



TIIK prettily sotted GUINEA FOWL, or PINTADO, is. although now domesticated in foreign 

 countries, a native of Africa, and \xith some exceptions, has much of the habits and projten 

 >ities ( ,f the turkex. \\hich bird it ex idmtly represent^. 



l.ik.- the turkey, it i-a.-onlin ..... 1 xxandeivr. tnn -elling continually during the day, and pen-h 

 ing on the brunches to roost at night. Itdiffers from the turkey, however, in its choice of local- 

 ity, for whereas the turkey always keeps itself to the driest spots, shunning the low-lying lands 

 as fatal to its young, the Guinea Fowl has a special liking for the marshes, and may generally 

 be found anioni; the most humid spots or upon the banks of rivers. It is a gregarious bird. 

 assetnMing in large bands, which traverse the country in company. The flight of the Pintado 

 is seldom extended to any great distance, as the body is heavy in proportion to the power of 

 wing, and the bird is forced to take short and hasty flights, with much flapping of the win 

 and to trust mostly to its l,-^ f (1 r locomotion. On the ground the Guinea Fowl is a very swift 

 bird, as is well knoxvn to those who have tried to catch it in an open field. 



Both in the xxild and the captive state the Guinea Fowl is wary and suspicious. : md par- 

 ticularly careful not to betray the jn>sition of its nest, thus often giving great trouble to the 

 farmer. Sometimes x\ hen the bn^^l ing season approaches, the female Pintado will hide her- 

 self and nest so effectually that the only indication of her proceedings is her subsequent 

 apjiearance with a brood of young around her. The number of eggs is rather large, bein;: 

 seldom Iteloxx ten. and often double that numU-r. Their color is yellowish-red, covered with 

 Terr little dark spots, and their -\/>- U less than that of the common fowl. Their shells are 

 extremely hard and thick, and xxheii 1 toiled for the table require -, me little exertion to open 



Kvery one knows the curious, almost articulate cry of the Guinea Fowl, its "Come-back ! 



