PHASIANIDAE 20^ 



white spots on the black plumage. M. meleagris of West Africa 

 and several of its islands, introduced in Ascension and the 

 Greater Antilles, which is the origin of our present domestic 

 stock, has the broad gape-wattles and bare tracts red, save for 

 a blue hind-neck ; the small conical helmet is yellowish, and 

 a wide grey ring divides the neck from the body. li'. coronata 

 of eastern South Africa, A", reichenowi of East Africa, i\~. cornuta 

 of western South Africa, N. marungensis, found from Benguela 

 to Tanganyika, N. mitrata of East Africa, Madagascar, and the 

 islands in the vicinity, and M ptilorliyncha of North-East Africa, 

 lack the collar and differ from each other in the shape of the 

 large helmet, which may be upright or inclined backwards. N. 

 ptilorhyncha has the naked parts blue, and a bunch of horn- 

 coloured bristles at the base of the maxilla; M coronata,, JS". 

 mitrata, and li. reichenowi have a reddish casque, a scarlet top to 

 the head, and blue cheeks and neck ; the wattles being red in the 

 last, but blue tipped with red in the first two, as in H. co7-»wt^a, where 

 the helmet is vermilion. JV. marungensis has a stouter, shorter 

 helmet than X. coronata, which it much resembles. Agelastes 

 melmgricles of West Africa is black vermiculated with whitish, 

 and has a zone of white feathers at the base of the neck ; the 

 bare skin of the head is red, of the neck white. The male has 

 a strong spur on each metatarsus, as has Phasidus niger, ranging 

 from Cape Lopez to Loango, which is brownish-black with a 

 band of feathers from the base of the bill to the occiput ; the 

 naked head is in this case yellow, becoming orange on the neck. 

 As regards habits, JVumida meleagris may represent the 

 group. This wild suspicious bird is found in flocks of a dozen 

 or even a hundred, not invariably of its own species, which 

 frequent thick bushes, tall grass, or rocky river-sides; it runs 

 swiftly and with perfect ease, occasionally travelling twenty 

 miles a day; while, though the short wings and heavy body 

 preclude extended flights, it travels with considerable power. 

 When disturbed it usually seeks the trees, in which it roosts at 

 night, and under which it shelters from the sun. The food 

 consists of grass, seeds, roots, bulbs, berries, and insects, the 

 ground being often torn up in the search ; the noisy cry is 

 hoarse and discordant, or sharp and metallic ; the nest is a depres- 

 sion with little or no lining, placed in or under a tussock, and 

 contains from twelve to twenty yellowish eggs with undecided 



