124 WATTLED GOURA. 



on the ground in holes ; it is composed of bits of 

 twigs and dry herbs : the female deposits from six 

 to eight reddish white eggs, and is assisted by the 

 male during incubation : the young are covered 

 with a reddish grey down, and run as soon as out 

 of the egg, but do not quit their parents, who 

 cover them with their wings to protect them from 

 the too violent rays of the sun ; the old birds feed 

 them with the pupae of ants, dead insects, and 

 worms : when they get stronger they feed upon 

 various sorts of grain, berries, and insects ; and 

 their general habits are precisely similar to those 

 of the gallinaceous birds. 



This bird is readily distinguished, by having a 

 naked skin on the forehead and round the base of 

 the beak, passing down the sides of the throat to 

 the ears, similar to a wattle : the length of the bird 

 is ten inches : its head, the cheeks, the neck, and 

 the breast are of a deep grey : the scapulars and 

 the upper wing-coverts are of a silvery grey, 

 lightly tipped with white : the belly, the upper 

 and under tail- coverts, the rump, the under part 

 of the wings, the sides, and the outer edge of the 

 exterior tail-feathers, are pure white : the tail is of 

 a reddish brown above, and dusky beneath : the 

 beak is red at its base and black at its point : the 

 legs are of a rufous tinge : the irides are composed 

 of two circles, one yellow, the other red. 



The female does not possess the naked red 

 wattle ; she is rather smaller, and not so brilliant 

 in colour : the wing-coverts are slightly edged 

 with white. Found in the interior of Africa. 



