GUINEA FOWL .—Numida Meleagns. 
The Guinea Eowl or Pintado is well known in our farmyards. 
Both in the wild and the captive state the Guinea Eowl 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 indica- 
tion of her proceedings is her subsequent appearance with a brood of young 
~ound 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. 
This bird has been imported into America and several of the West Indian 
islands, where it has entirely acclimatised itself. 
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