DISTRUSTFUL NATURE 561 



may present an attractive appearance when marketed. Guineas 

 are almost always shipped without removing any of the feathers, 

 which is another factor in favor of the producer. Ninety cents 

 a pair is probably the average price in the large Eastern markets, 

 and at this figure there is a nice profit for the producer. 



Distrustful Nature. — In no other fowl does the instinct of dis- 

 trust seem such a conspicuous characteristic as in the guinea, 

 and this timorousness is responsible for its hitherto limited list 

 of friends; yet for all this senseless hysteria and shyness, they 

 can be made to yield a certain amount of confidence to the 

 attendant who treats them kindly and feeds them regularly, and 

 in so doing there is both profit and interest in their culture. To 

 frighten or treat them roughly is to alienate them beyond hope, 

 and their propensity for flying makes them exceedingly difficult 

 to capture; in which case they will have to be shot. In this 

 wild state they are likely to be pugnacious, and to frighten and 

 drive off other poultry. It is also found that the wilder they 

 are the noiser they will be; hence it behooves those who raise 

 guineas, for their own peace of mind, to treat them as gently 

 and sympathetically as possible. 



The guinea may shriek hysterically at a shadow, and it is 

 subject to peculiar nightmares — seeing ghosts and goblins; never- 

 theless they are excellent guards, and for this reason alone they 

 are a valuable adjunct to the barnyard. 



In buying mature guineas, the poultryman should confine them 

 for about two weeks, so that they may become accustomed to 

 their new home; otherwise, on giving them their freedom, they 

 are very apt to take flight and never come back. The best plan 

 is to purchase eggs from a reliable breeder and to raise one's 

 own stock. 



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