xxx GAME BIRDS FOR SPORT AND POT 305 



round the corner of a bush. Also, he is delicious to 

 eat. The species is extremely common at the northern 

 extremity of Lake Natron. 



There are quite half a dozen varieties of guinea-fowl 

 in British East Africa, several of which, though 

 common, are forest dwellers. The settler, however, 

 usually knows but two : the common guinea-fowl, 

 which he shoots in the neighbourhood of his farm 

 (either Reichenow's guinea-fowl or the Abyssinian 

 helmeted guinea-fowl), and the vulturine guinea-fowl, 

 which he may meet on his travels. The former can 

 hardly ever be induced to provide a sporting shot at 

 all, and trusts mainly to his pedestrian powers — wherein 

 he is quite right, as the power of his legs is infinitely 

 superior to that of his wings. To acquire his carcase, 

 I would recommend allowing a dog to chase him into 

 a tree, from which position he can be blown off at 

 leisure. It is as well to make certain that the article 

 at which you are aiming is a bird, and not a beehive. 

 The writer made the mistake once, but will not 

 repeat it. 



The beautiful vulturine guinea-fowl loves desert 

 sandy country, and is almost certain to be found there 

 in the neighbourhood of water. He is a far finer flier 

 than his relative ; indeed, I have seen a flock of 

 vulturines rise and come rocketing over on the wind 

 almost out of shot. On the ground they can be easily 

 distinguished by their long tails. 



The Quail is sometimes very plentiful, and of course 

 affords good sport. The objection to him is that he is 

 easy to shoot, hard to pick up, a small mouthful when 

 cooked, and won't keep long. The varieties in the 

 Protectorate are : Delegorgue's, the common, and the 

 button quail. Of these the first named is much the 



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