TURKEYS, DUCKS, GEESE, GUINEA FOWLS 



249 



Many hotels and restaurants in large cities are eager to 

 secure young guineas to be served at banquets and dinners 

 as a special delicacy. They are usually raised in small flocks 

 on general farms and need a large range for best results. 



VARIETIES 



There are three va- 

 rieties of domesticated 

 guinea fowl, namely, 

 Pearl, White, and Lav- 

 ender, of which the 

 Pearl is the most pop- 

 ular. 



The Pearl. The 

 Pearl guinea has pur- 

 plish gray plumage 

 regularly dotted or 

 marked with white. In 

 addition to its value 

 as a table fowl the 

 feathers of this variety 

 are frequently used for 

 ornamental purposes. 



The White. The 

 White guinea fowl is 

 pure white in color and 

 the skin is somewhat lighter than that of the Pearl variety. 



The Lavender. This variety is quite uncommon and 

 resembles in color markings the Pearl variety except that 

 the plumage is of a Hght gray or lavender, regularly dotted 

 with white dots. 



Guineas have not yet been recognized by the American 

 Standard of Perfection. No standard weights, therefore, 

 are given. On an average, both the male and female weigh 

 from 3 to 4 pounds at maturity. 



Figure 242. — African gander. 



