232 PHASIANID^ NUMIDA 



brown ; naked skin of the face clear blue, helmet vermilion, naked 

 part of the neck purplish-blue, wattles the same, scarlet at the tips ; 

 a number of small wattles on top of the beak between the nostrils ; 

 beak light brown, feet dark greyish. 



Length 22-0 ; wing 10-9 ; tail 6'3 ; tarsus 2-7 ; helmet, height 

 from middle of base 2*1 ; along the base -55. 



Distribution. — This bird takes the place of the commoner Guinea- 

 fowl (which it closely resembles) in German South-west Africa from 

 Great Namaqualand to the Cunene, extending eastwards into the 

 Kalahari some distance ; it has also been obtained in the 

 Mossamedes province of Angola. 



Habits.— In this respect the Damaraland bird doubtless resembles 

 the common form. Fleck states that he found a nest of this specie^ 

 on February 27, containing sixteen eggs ; the nest was in a hollow 

 in the sand and the eggs were thick in the shell, creamy brown 

 without darker spots. Some of these were hatched out under a hen 

 and the following year a pair of these young birds bred and pro- 

 duced nine young ones. This contradicts the prevalent idea in 

 South Africa that these birds will not breed in captivity. 



665. Numida mitrata. East African Guinea-fowl. 



Numida mitrata, Pallas, Spic- Zool. fasc. iv, p. 18, pi. 3 (1767) : Kirk, 

 Ibis, 1864, p. 330 ; Grant, Cat. B. M. xxii, p. 378 (1893) ; id. Game 

 Birds ii, p. 94 (1897) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 183 (1896) ; Alexander, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 447 ; Beichenow, Vog. Afr. 1. p.- 438 (1901). 



" Inkanka" of Zambesi natives (Alexander). 



Description.— QloB&lj resembling N. coronata, but distinguished 

 by the shape of the helmet, which is small, conical and stumpy, only 

 about -5 inch hig.h ; the feathers round the base of the neck are 

 finely barred with black and white. Iris black. Top of the head 

 scarlet, helmet paler, naked skin of the side of the face and neck 

 blue, wattles blue, red- tipped ; bill yellowish-horn, legs and feet 

 brownish-horn. 



Length about 22 ; wing 10'7 ; tail 5*2 ; tarsus 2-8.- 



Distribution. — East Africa from the Zambesi northwards to 

 Mombasa. Also found in Madagascar, the Comoro Islands and 

 Rodrigues, where it has probably been introduced. 



Within our limits it has been obtained by Alexander along the 

 Zambesi and is specially recorded from Tete. 



