THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 109 



be made. The "pot hunter'' selects the time immediately before 

 darkness for his operations, and having taken up a position near 

 some favourite roosting place, a shot into the brown generally 

 proves disastrous to the unfortunate birds. As an example of how 

 game, not alone of this but of every other description, in South 

 Africa is gradually becoming decimated through wholesale and 

 useless slaughter, which cannot be too strongly condemned, it 

 may be mentioned that some years ago a party numbering over 

 twenty, and including several well-known "sportsmen," when on a 

 trip along the Notwani River (a tributary of the Crocodile in 

 Bechuanaland Protectorate), unnecessarily subsisted for over fourteen 

 days almost entirely on the livers of Guinea Fowl, the reraaining 

 portion of the bodies being generally thrown away. The flesh of 

 the young bird is white, and excellent in flavour. 



Verreaux's Guinea Fowl {Numida verreauxi). Fig. 59, 

 Plate XI. 



[Body Mack, with greenish tinge, and spotted with greenish white; 

 head adorned with large upright jet black velvety feathered crest ; 

 throat, red; neck, blue.'\ 



This bird inhabits the dense bush in the low-lying and unhealthy 

 country on the East Coast South of the Crocodile River, and was at 

 one time plentiful in Natal, but it is only occasionally that a speci- 

 men can be obtained there now. 



Pucheran's or the Zambesi Guinea Fowl {Numida pucker ani). 

 Fig. 57, Plate XI. 



[Almost identical with the last described, with the exception that 

 the spotted plumage is continued on the breast to the throat.'] 



Found rather plentifully in the bush belts along the Zambesi, and 

 some very beautiful specimens have been brought from that river 

 by Mr. Francis, the well-known trader, and domesticated on the 

 Crocodile.* 



SAND GROUSH. 



The Namaqua Sand Grouse {Pterodes namaqua).~Namaqua 

 Patraise of the Dutch. 



