66 GAME BIRDS OF THE PROTECTORATES 
appears to be quite deserted. The nest is usually well hidden 
in thick scrub, and the eggs vary in number from seven or 
eight or twelve to fourteen. Of the many ways of circum- 
venting this bird, driving over a belt of trees, where possible, 
affords quite the best sport ; walking them up, which generally 
means running after them and peppering them behind, when 
many go away with a leg down or otherwise wounded, is the 
least satisfactory, whilst potting them from a tree when roosting 
is simple butchery. 
Adult . — Bony helmet, long, elevated and compressed ; the 
base extending from the forehead to the occiput ; the height 
varies. The general colour of the plumage is black, thickly 
spotted all over with white, the spots on the upper-parts being 
smaller than those on the under, and divided from one another 
by a network of dotted white lines ; the black feathers up the 
middle of the back of the neck have decomposed webs ; each 
of the white spots along the margin of the outer web of the 
secondaries takes the form of a short oblique band. Upper 
parts of the head and wattles at the angles of the gape crimson- 
red, neck bluish-purple ; bill yellowish-horn-colour, darker 
at the base ; legs and feet dark horn-brown. 
Length 21 inches, wing 11 inches, tail 6*4 inches, tarsus 
3*1 inches. 
NUMIDA MITRATA 
Numida mitrata, Pall. 
‘ Ogilvie-Grant’s Cat. Birds Brit. Mus.’ Vol. XXII, page 378. 
‘ Sharpe’s Hand-List,’ Vol. I, page 42. ‘ Shelley’s Birds of 
Africa,’ Vol. I, page 183. ‘ Reichenow’s Vogel Afrikas,’ Vol. I, 
page 438. 
Pallas’ Helmeted Guinea-fowl appears to be confined to the 
southern portion of the coast region lying between the Sabaki 
river and the Anglo-German frontier, and as far inland as 
Samburu. It has probably suffered at the hands of native 
trappers, as it is nowhere very plentiful and associates in much 
smaller flocks of from six or eight up to fifteen. 
It is very similar in plumage and appearance to N. reichenowi, 
but may be at once recognised by the shape of the helmet, 
