THE GUINEA FOWL. 173 



of their long-laying season ; in old and weak ones, 

 showing themselves in the first-laid eggs, and increas- 

 ing in depth and extent as the season advances. The 

 same thing is less frequently seen among turkeys that 

 are about to cease laying. Such eggs are quite good 

 for the table, but should not be taken for the purpose 

 of hatching. They appear to contain a less portion of 

 yolk than the perfect egg. 



INCUBATION. 



FROM their great aptitude for laying, which is a 

 natural property, and not an artificially-encouraged 

 habit, as before observed, and also from the very little 

 disposition they show to sit, it is believed, that these 

 birds, in their native country, do not sit at all on their 

 eggs, but leave them to be hatched by the sun, like 

 ostriches, to which they bear a close affinity. It is 

 certain that the sands of tropical Africa are more than 

 hot enough to hatch them, and that the young birds 

 are unusually vivacious and independent, if they have 

 but a supply of proper food, which they would find in 

 the myriads of insects engendered there. 



They are in season from the middle of December 

 till May ; and their period of incubation lasts at least 

 twenty-six days. 



A Bantam hen is the best mother, being lighter, and 

 less likely to injure the eggs by treading on them than a 

 full-sized fowl. She will well cover nine eggs, and 

 incubation will last about a month. The young are ex- 

 cessively pretty. When first hatched, they are so strong 

 and active as to appear not to require the attention re- 

 ally necessary to rear them. Almost as soon as they 

 are dry, from the moisture of the egg, they will peck 

 each other's toes, as if supposing them to be worms, 

 will scramble with each other for a crumb of bread, 

 and will domineer over any little Bantam, or chicken, 

 that may perhaps have been brought off in the same 

 clutch with themselves. No one, who did not know, 

 would guess, from their appearance, of what species 



