THE 



PINTADO, OR GUINEA FOWL. 



THIS bird is originally a native of Africa, but 

 has been long naturalized in this country, and 

 is considered as a delicacy. It is about the size 

 of a common hen, but, being supported on 

 longer legs, it looks much larger. Its head is 

 covered with a kind of helmet ; the back is 

 round ; and the tail turned downward, like that 

 of a partridge. The whole plumage is black, 

 or dark gray, diversified with white spots ; and 

 the wattles, proceeding from the upper chap, 

 give it a very peculiar aspect. All their habits 

 resemble those of the poultry kind, and they 

 agree in every other respect, except that the 

 sex can only be distinguished by the colour of 

 the wattles ; those of the male being of a blu- 

 ish cast, while in the female they are more in- 

 clining to red. The voice of the Guinea Fowl 

 is extremely harsh and discordant. The eggs 

 are smaller than those of the domestic hen, but 

 have a harder shell. 



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