222 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER-FOWL. 



The lieu lays pretty freely from May or June to about 

 August. She is a very shy bird, and if eggs are taken from 

 her nest with her knowledge will forsake it altogether, and 

 seek another, which she conceals with the most sedulous care. 

 A few should therefore always be left, and the nest never be 

 visited when she is in sight. It is best to give the earliest eggs 

 to a common hen, as the G-uinea-fowl herself frequently sits 

 too late to rear a brood. If " broody " in due season, however, 

 she rarely fails to hatch nearly all. Incubation is from twenty- 

 six to twenty-nine or thirty days. 



The chicks require food almost immediately within, at 

 most, ten hours after hatching and should be fed and cared 

 for in the same manner as young turkeys, though they may be 

 allowed rather more liberty. It should be observed, however, 

 that they require more constant feeding than any other 

 chickens, a few hours' abstinence being fatal to them ; and 

 they need also rather more animal food to rear them success- 

 fully and keep them in good condition, especially in the winter. 

 The chicks are very strong on their legs, and in fine weather 

 may be allowed to wander with the hen when very young. 



The male birds of this breed are quarrelsome, and very apt 

 to beat other fowls. 



The flesh of the Guinea-fowl is of exquisite flavour, much 

 like that of the pheasant. The body nearly equals in size an 

 ordinary Dorking, and is very plump and well-proportioned. 

 Like all other finely-flavoured birds, they should never be over- 

 fed or crammed, as is sometimes done. Who would think of 

 cramming a pheasant to make it more ( ' fit for the table 1 " 



PEA-FOWL. The distinguishing characteristics of this well- 

 known bird are the crest or aigrette on the top of the head, 

 and the peculiar structure of the tail covert feathers. The 

 true tail of the peacock is short and hidden, and what we call 

 the " tail " is, strictly speaking, an excessive development of 

 the tail-coverts, or side feathers, which occasionally have been 



