376 THE TURKEY. 
The female makes her nest in some secluded spot, and is very guarded in 
her approaches, seldom employing the same path twice in succession: and, if 
discovered, using various wiles by which to draw the intruder from the spot. 
As soon as the young are hatched she takes them under her charge, and the 
wholefamily go wander- 
ing about to great dis- 
tances, at first returning 
to the nest for the night, 
but afterwards crouch- 
ing in any suitable spot. 
Marshy places are 
avoided by the Turkey, 
as wet is fatal to the 
young birds until they 
have attained their se- 
cond suit of clothes 
and wear feathers in- 
. stead of down. When 
théy are about a fort- 
night old they are able 
to get up into trees, 
and roost in the 
branches, safe from 
most of the numerous 
enemies which beset 
their path through life. 
: The Turkey is a very 
TURKEY. —(A@eleagris gallopavo.) migratory bird, pass- 
ing over great distances 
and retaining the habit in its tamed state, giving no small amount of trouble 
to the poultry owner. 
THE prettily spotted GUINEA FOWL, or PINTADO, sometimes called 
GALLINI, is, although now domesticated in England, a native of Africa, and 
has much of the habits and propensities of the turkey. 
Both in the wild and the captive state the Guinea Fowl is wary and 
suspicious, and particularly careful not to betray the position of its nest, thus 
often giving great trouble to the farmer. Sometimes when the breeding season 
approaches, the female Pintado will hide herself and nest so effectually 
that the only indication of her proceedings is her subsequent appearance 
with a brood of young round her. The number of eggs is rather large, being 
seldom below ten, and often double that number. Their colour is yellowish 
red, covered with very little dark spots, and their size is less than that of the 
common fowl. Their shells are extremely hard and thick, and when boiled 
for the table require some little exertion to open properly. 
Everyone knows the curious, almost articulate cry of the Guinea Fowl, its 
“ Come-back ! come-back,” being continually uttered wherever the bird is 
kept, and often affording a clue to its presence. 
The forehead of the Guinea Fowl is surmounted with a horny casque, and 
the naked skin round the eyes falls in wattles below the throat. In the male 
the wattles are purplish red, and in the female they are red without any 
mixture of blue, and are of smaller size. The legs are without spurs. The 
pretty spotted plumage of this bird is too well known to need description. 
OF the many members of the Perdicine group, we shall only take one 
example, the well known English PARTRIDGE. 
This bird, so dear to British sportsmen, is found spread over the greater 
