THE 
PINTADO, OR GUINEA FOWL. 
This bird is originally a native of Africa, but 
has been long naturalized in this country, and 
is considered as a delicacy. It is about the size 
of a common hen, but, being supported on 
longer legs, it looks much larger. Its head is 
covered with a kind of helmet ; the back is 
round ; and the tail turned downward, like that 
of a partridge. The whole plumage is black, 
or dark gray, diversified with white spots ; and 
the wattles, proceeding from the upper chap, 
give it a very peculiar aspect. All their habits 
resemble those of the poultry kind, and they 
agree in every other respect, except that the 
sex can only be distinguished by the colour of 
the wattles ; those of the male being of a blu- 
ish cast, while in the female they are more in- 
clining to red. The voice of the Guinea Fowl 
is extremely harsh and discordant. The eggs 
are smaller than those of the domestic hen, but 
have a harder shell. 
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