GAME-BIRDS OP SOUTH AFRICA 



the Helmeted species {N. mitrata), enabling us to observe to 

 a nicety the diflference between the cries of the two species. 

 The call of the former, otherwise the same as the latter, was 

 varied now and then by a tremulous whistle towards nightfall 

 and kept up long after night had set in. 



" The Zambesi natives look upon this bird with a certain 

 amount of superstition. Nothing would induce them to eat 

 it, and they told us that its flesh was poisonous." 



I obtained a pair of these birds, through the coxu-tesy of 

 Dr. Gunning, from the Pretoria Zoo, and for some weeks 

 kept them in a large wire enclosure at Bloemfontein. I put 

 up some leafy branches, under which they ran and hid at the 

 least alarm. I found them shy and very silent, but they 

 throve well until I took them to England, when I gave them 

 to the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park. In captivity 

 I fed them on all or any sort of grain and on broken up 

 bread, and they were fond of ground nuts and broken 

 biscuits. 



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