THE



297



Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



Third Series .— Vol. VI.—No. 10. —All rights reserved. AUGUST, 1915.



THE VULTURINE GUINEA-FOWL.


By Graham Renshaw, M.D.


“A great ornament to our poultry-yards.”— Sclater,,


We are indebted to some primitive aviculturist for our earliest

knowledge of the handsome Vulturine Guinea-fowl. The first re¬

corded specimen was brought from the West Coast by Captain

Probyn, and had been kept in captivity, as its damaged wings and

tail testified. The new bird was exhibited by Captain Stoddart

at a meeting of the Zoological Society on June 23rd, 1834, and

was afterwards deposited in the “ Naval and Military Museum.”

Although the specimen was imperfect, and had also died in moult,

its unique character rendered it valuable : for many years it re¬

mained the only example in any collection. In 1861 it was pur¬

chased by the Trustees of the British Museum.


On May 26th, 1863, the Hamburg Zoological Gardens were

opened: the Vulturine Guinea-fowls exhibited there were probably

the first seen alive in Europe, several being shown in the menagerie

during the first nine years of its existence. In 1870 Sir John Kirk

sent to the London Zoo. a single female, which had been captured at

Brava in Somaliland. This individual was in a very weak state,

and very thin : it only lived about ten days. A companion shipped

with it had died on the way to Marseilles. The Zoological Society

made a special grant to Sir John Kirk, to enable him to obtain the

Vulturine Guinea-fowl and other desirable birds. In June, 1872,

he presented a fine pair to the same collection, and two more birds

in January, 1874. In 1877, Mr. Gerald Walker deposited in the

Zoo. several rare guinea-fowl, including two of the Vulturine species,



