556 COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



Varieties. — There are two popular varieties of guineas — Pearl 

 and White, the only difference being in their color. The Pearl 

 variety should be bluish-gray in color, each feather marked with 

 white spots resembling pearls, hence its name, but it must be 

 free from any solid white feathers in any part of its plumage. 

 The White variety should be a pure white in plumage, with orange 

 or yellowish-white bill and legs. 



In the Pearl variety the bill and legs are brown. Some speci- 

 mens of this variety have white breasts, or breasts of a lighter 

 gray color than the back and other plumage, which denotes a 

 cross between the Pearl and White, hence they are mongrels. 

 For size, egg production and other characteristics both varieties 

 are equally desirable, although the Pearl Guinea is probably the 

 most common. The flesh of both is dark, but that of the White, 

 or of the White crossed with Pearl, is a shade lighter. 



Except in size, a newly hatched Pearl Guinea is the replica 

 of a baby partridge; markings, colorings and contour are iden- 

 tical. Lately, there has come to be another variety known as 

 the Dove Guinea, but it is scarcely popular enough to be recog- 

 nized. 



Sex. — The amateur has great difficulty in telling males from 

 females; at a casual glance they are indistinguishable. The 

 most accurate method of distinguishing the sex is by the cry — 

 the hen has the preponderance of vocabulary. The well-known 

 potrack, buckwheat or too quick is uttered by the female only, 

 while the che or tck is typical of both male and female. More- 

 over, the female seldom screeches like the cock. Those who are 

 well acquainted with the fowl will observe that the male has a 

 larger spike on his head, and that the ear-lobes are also larger 

 than those of the hen, and that the lobes generally curl in a sort 

 of semi-circle toward the beak. It will also be noted that the 

 cocks usually hold their heads higher than the hens. 



The male selects his mate and his devotion is steadfast. 

 While the hen attends to the duties of maternity, the male 

 remains close by, ready at the least sign of danger to utter his 

 shrill cry of alarm. When the brood appears, he shares the 



