264 CRESTED PINTADO. 



of the neck is of a crimson -red : the head is sur- 

 mounted by a fine crest ; the feathers' of which it 

 is composed are black, with delicate webs, and 

 droop over the hind head and the beak : the 

 whole of the plumage is black ; the body, with the 

 exception of the neck and top of the breast, being 

 spotted with small points of a whitish blue, en- 

 circled with a brilliant blue : the greater feathers 

 of the wings are dusky brown, and spotless : the 

 secondaries are the same, with four longitudinal 

 stripes down the shafts ; three or four of these 

 have a large white spot extending the whole length 

 of the outer webs : the rest, nearer the body, 

 have the longitudinal bluish-white rays : the tail 

 is black, with undulated bluish-white rays : the 

 feet are dusky brown : the irides brown : legs 

 dusky : hind claw elevated from the ground, and 

 blunt. 



This species inhabits the hottest parts of Africa ; 

 the country of the Grand Namaquois, and the in- 

 terior of Guinea, producing the greatest number : 

 they live in herds of many hundreds, composed of 

 several united coveys : their cry, which is uttered 

 at the rising of the sun, and towards the close of 

 the day, is very discordant and unpleasant : their 

 manners are similar to those of the rest of the 

 genus, and they feed on different sorts of grain, 

 worms, insects, and berries : they appear to be 

 easily domesticated. 



END OF PART I. 



