432 



GAME-BIRDS, 



PEACOCK (I nat. size). 



„ , Turningf to 



Guinea-Fowls. ^ 



Ainca we come 



to the various species of 

 guinea - fowl, representing 

 the pheasant tribe in that 

 continent, but having the 

 plumage of both sexes alike. 

 Before passing to the better- 

 known genera, we may 

 briefly notice two rare West 

 African forms of which 

 very little is known. Of 

 these the black guinea-fowl 

 (P/iasidiLS niger), occurring 

 between Cape Lopez and 

 Loango, is smaller than the 

 common guinea-fowl, and 

 has the whole of the plumage 

 blackish brown, obscurely 

 pencilled with brown. With 

 the exception of a band of 

 black feathers, from the base 

 of the bill to the occiput, 

 the head and neck are almost 

 entirely naked, the skin 

 being yellow shading into 

 orange on the throat and 

 neck, and the male having 

 the metatarsus armed with 

 a pair of stout spurs, there- 

 by showing an approach to 

 the pheasants. The turkey 

 guinea-fowl (Agelastes melea- 

 grides), met with further 

 north, from Liberia to the 

 Gabun, may be recognised by 

 having the whole head and 

 neck naked, the skin of the 

 former being red, darker on 

 the crown and hind-neck, 

 while the lower- neck is 

 milky white ; tlie mantle and 

 chest being white, and the 

 rest of the plumage black 

 finely mottled with white. 

 Like the last species the male 



