ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 
455 
from twenty to twenty-five pounds each. It is the largest as it is the 
most magnificent in plumage of the domesticated varieties, and as hardy 
as it is beautiful. 
In the cock the face, ear-lobes, wattles and jaws are deep rich red, the 
wattles warted and sometimes edged white, the bill curved, strong, of a 
l-ight horn color at the tip and dark at the base. The neck, breast and 
back black, shaded with bronze, which in the sunlight glistens golden, 
each feather ending in a narrow glossy black band extending clear across. 
Tho under part of the body is similarly marked, but more subdued. The 
wing-bow is black, showing a brilliant greenish or brown lustre, the 
flight-feathers black, barred across with white or gray, even and regular ; 
the wing-coverts rich bronze, the end of each feather terminating in a 
wide black band, giving the wings when folded a broad bronze band 
across each ; tail black, each feather irregularly penciled with a narrow 
brown band, and ending in a grayish-bronze band. Fluff abundant and 
soft ; legs long, strong, dark or nearly black. The hen is similarly col- 
ored, but more subdued. 
GUINEA FOWL. 
V. Guinea Fowl. 
The Guinea fowl is quite widely disseminated, being found in its 
domesticated or rather half-domesticated state all over Europe and 
America; yet can hardly be called common. The reason is they are 
ehy and rather inclined to pair as in the case of other wild birds. In 
domestication one male may be allowed to about six females. They are 
grouped by some naturalists into a considerable number of varieties, but 
since the so-called species are all quite fertile together, the distinc- 
tion is probably merely fanciful. They are found wild in the Cape Yerd 
Islands and in Jamaica, having undoubtedly been carried thence. 
The hen will lay about sixty or seventy eggs in a year, though they 
Sometimes reach one hundred. The Pearl guinea fowl is the variety 
