176 THE GUINEA FOWL. 



ture,) may be suffered to range loose in the orchard 

 and fields and no longer be permitted to enter the gar- 

 den, lest her family should acquire a habit of visiting 

 it at a time when their presence would be less wel- 

 come than formerly. They must still, ' however, re- 

 ceive a bountiful and frequent supply of food ; they 

 are not to be considered safe till the horn on their heads 

 is fairly grown. Indian meal, as a great treat, cooked 

 potatoes, boiled rice, anything in short, that is eatable, 

 may be thrown down to them. They will pick the 

 bones left after dinner with great satisfaction, and no 

 doubt, benefit to themselves. The tamer they can be 

 made, the less troublesome' will those birds be which 

 you retain for stock ; the more kindly they are treated, 

 the more they are petted and pampered, the fatter and 

 better-conditioned will the others become, which you 

 design for your own table, or as presents to your 

 friends, and the better price will you get, if you send 

 them to market. 



At a certain period, they will have got beyond the 

 management of their good little Bantam mother, and 

 will cast off her authority. They will form what has 

 appropriately been called a "pack ;" prowling about 

 in a body, after insects, and seeds, or grazing together, 

 (for they eat a great deal of grass,) still in a pack; 

 fiercely driving away any intruder on their society, 

 and all giving tongue, in one chorus,, at the approach 

 of any danger. "When fully grown, they weigh from 

 3 to 4 lbs. 



Birds, thus reared on the spot where they are meant 

 to be kept, are sure to .thrive better, and give less 

 trouble than those procured from a distance ; they 

 sometimes, will not remain in their new home, but 

 wander about in search of their old haunts till they 

 either find them, or are themselves lost, destroyed, or 

 stolen. .--%*■" 



It is of no use to shut up these fowls to fatten, un- 

 less, they have previously been made particularly 

 tame, as they would sulk, pine, and die, before they 



