124 THE POULTRY-BOOK. 



THE GUINEA FOWL, OR PINTADO. 



" The Guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris) is a native of Africa, 

 long domesticated in Europe. It may be considered as some- 

 what intermediate between the pheasant and turkey. 



Like most domesticated fowls, there are several varieties 

 of the pintado, besides the mitred, the crested, and the Egyp- 

 tian, which are considered by naturalists as distinct species. 

 One of these varieties is wholly white ; another has only the 

 breast white ; and a third has the caruncles, or wattles, at the 

 mouth, double. 



The Guinea fowl is about twenty-two inches long, and, 

 from standing high on its legs, appears to be larger than it 

 really is. It is a noisy bird, having a very peculiar call-note, 

 and is turbulent and restless, continually moving from place to 

 place, and domineering over the whole poultry-yard, boldly 

 attacking even the fiercest turkey-cock, and keeping all in alarm 

 by its petulant pugnacity 



This species differs from all other poultry in its being diffi- 

 cult to distinguish the cock from the hen ; the chief difference 

 being in the color of the wattles, which are more of a red hue 

 in the cock, and more tinged with blue in the hen. The cock 

 } as also a more statelv strut. 



