24 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
Phtto by Kerry Co,] [^Sydney 
WALLACE'S PAINTED MEGAPODE 
This bird buries its eggs in the sand^ burro'wing for each a slanting hole from J to 
^ feet deep 
in the Hindu States it is not allowed 
to be killed under any circumstances. 
There are two, some say three, distinct 
species of peacock, but they all closely 
resemble one another. 
Brief mention will serve for the 
Guinea-fowls and Turkeys, since 
they are well known to us all. Guinea- 
FOWLS are African birds. The farm- 
yard form, popularly known as “Come- 
backs,” from their peculiar cry 
“ come-back, come-back, come-back,” 
is a descendant of the common 
helmeted form, of which type there 
are eight distinct species. Besides 
these are four crested species ; one 
very beautiful species known as the 
Vulture like Guinea-fowl; and 
one, the rarest of all, known as the 
Black Guinea-fowl. Even in the 
British Museum, writes Mr. Ogilvie Grant, “ there are only two examples of it, and neither of 
these are perfect specimens.” It w'as discovered by M. Du Chaillu. “ One day,” he says, “ I 
went out hunting by myself, and, to my great joy, shot another new bird, a black wild-fowl, one 
of the most singular birds I have seen in Africa. . . . The head, where it is bare, is in the 
female of a pink hue, and in the male of a bright scarlet. . . . Wild they are, and most 
difficult to approach, and rare, even in the forests where they are at home.” They do not 
travel in huge flocks, like other guinea-fowls, but a male and two females at most. 
The familiar form of the TURKEY scarcely needs description ; but most people are probably 
puzzled by its name. Why Turkey? The bird is a native of America, so it certainly cannot 
have anything to do with its place of origin. Professor Newton has it that it is on account 
of its call-note, “ to be syllabled ‘ turk, turk, turk,’ whereby it may almost be said to have 
named itself” 
The domesticated turkey is descended from the Mexican Turkey, and w'as probably 
introduced into Europe during the sixteenth century. This, according to Captain Bendire, is 
a mountain-living species, and still abundant in the wilder portions of Western Texas and 
New Mexico. It appears to attain greater bulk than its domesticated descendant. Captain 
Bendire having recorded a specimen shot by himself which weighed 28 lbs. after having been 
drawn, and heavier birds are said to occur occasionally. 
The Mexicans say that the coyotes catch turkeys by running in circles under the tree 
in which they are roosting, till the birds get dizzy with watching them, and fall down into 
the open mouths below’! 
There are three distinct kinds of turkey — the Mexican, American, and Honduras 
Turkey. The last is a very fine bird, with a bright blue head and neck, instead of 
red. The top of the head is adorned with numerous scarlet, berry-like w'arts, looking like 
holly-berries. 
