THE GUINEA FOWL. 
157 
THE GUINEA FOWL. 
The Guinea fowl ( Numida meleagris), is no 
great favorite with poultry keepers, in general, but 
is one of those unfortunate beings, which, from 
having been occasionally guilty of now and then a 
trifling fault, has acquired a much worse reputation 
than it really deserves. Notwithstanding this, it is 
useful, ornamental, and interesting during life, and 
a desirable addition to the table, when dead. 
The plumage of this bird is singularly beautiful, 
being spangled over with an infinity of white spots 
on a black ground, shaded with grey and brown. 
The spots vary from the size of a pea to extreme 
minuteness. Rarely, the black and white change 
places, causing the bird to appear as if covered -with 
a network of lace. A white variety is not uncom¬ 
mon, but is less hardy, and it is doubtful how 
long either this, or the former one, would remain 
permanent; probably but for few generations. 
Pied birds, blotched with patches of white, are fre¬ 
quent, but are not comparable, in point of beauty, 
with those of the original wild color. The head 
and face are remarkable. The scarlet wattles, 
naked skin, distinct mark of the eye brow, bright, 
glancing eyes, and comical, quick expression, make, 
at a front view, a perfect miniature of a clown, 
dressed and painted for the circus, or pantomime. 
There is one circumstance, in regard to the 
habits of the Guinea cock, which may not gene¬ 
rally be known; that is, he is monogamous, or 
having one wife only, pairing with his mate, like 
a partridge, or pigeon, and remaining faithful to 
her (perhaps with one or two trifling peccadil¬ 
loes), so long as they continue to live together. 
It is generally supposed that he, like the com-* 
mon cock, is pleased with a plurality of wives; 
and the supposition is acted on with bad practi¬ 
cal effect. In the case where a Guinea cock and 
two hens are kept (a usual number), it will be 
found, on close observation, that though the three 
keep together so as to form one “ pack,” accord- _ 
ing to their original instinct, yet that the cock ^ 
and one hen will be unkind and stingy to the 
other unfortunate female, keep her at a certain 
distance, merely suffering her society, and making 
her feel that she is with them only on sufferance. 
The neglected hen will lay eggs, in appearance, 
like those of the other, but not so many, probably, 
in the same nest. If they are to be eaten, all well 
and good; but if a brood is wanted and the eggs 
of the despised one chance to be taken for the pur¬ 
pose of hatching, the result is disappointment and 
addled eggs. If the produce of the favorite, or 
rather the lawful, wife are selected, at the end of the 
month, you have so many strong chicks ; if a mix¬ 
ture of eggs come to hand, the hatch is in propor¬ 
tion. Therefore, let all those who wish to succeed 
with Guinea fowls, match their birds as strictly as 
the couples in a country dance. 
It is not every one who knows a cock from a 
hen of this species. An unerring rule is, that the 
hen alone uses the call note “ come back,” “ come 
back,” accenting the second syllable strongly, from 
which they are often called “ come backs.” The 
cock has only the harsh, shrill cry of alarm, -which, 
however, is also common to the female. 
Their amours are conducted with strict decorum 
and privacy. The cock, however, is properly po¬ 
lite and attentive to his own hen, in public, walking 
very close by her side, so as to touch her wings 
with his own, offering her tit bits, now and then a 
worm, or a grain of corn ; he has also a habit of 
running very quick for a few steps, and then walk¬ 
ing affectedly on tip toe, with a mincing air. like 
the dandy in a Christmas pantomime, setting up his 
back and increasing his apparent height. These 
latter symptoms are less evident in youth, when it 
is necessary to make the selection, and the call note 
will be found the safest guide. He attends his own 
hen to the nest, waits for her close at hand, till 
she has made her contribution to the treasury al¬ 
ready there; and will occasionally betray the situa¬ 
tion of the secret hoard, by his extreme solicitude 
in announcing the approach of intruders. 
Of all known birds, this, perhaps, is the most 
prolific of eggs. Week after week and month after 
month see little or no intermission of the daily 
deposit. Even the process of moulting is some¬ 
times insufficient to draw off the nutriment the crea¬ 
ture takes to make feathers instead of eggs. As 
the body of a good cow is a distillery for converting 
all sorts of herbage into milk, and nothing else, or 
as 'little else as possible, so the body of the 
Guinea hen is a most admirable machine for pro¬ 
Guinea Fowl. 
ducing eggs out of injects, vegetables, garbage, or 
grain. 
From this great aptitude for laying, which is a 
natural property, and not an artificially-encouraged 
habit, and also from the very little disposition they 
show to sit, it is believed, that, in their native 
country, the dry, burning wastes of Central Africa, 
they do not sit at all on their eggs, but leave them 
to be hatched by the sun, like ostriches, to which 
they bear a close affinity. It is certain that the 
sands of tropical Africa are more than hot enough 
to hatch them, and that the young birds are unu¬ 
sually vivacious and independent, if they have but 
a supply of proper food, which they would find in 
the myriads of insects engendered there. They are 
also found wild on the island of Ascension, but it is 
doubtful whether any accurate account of their 
habits, or mode of increase, there is extant. 
Rearing , Management, ^c.—The best way to 
begin keeping Guinea fowls, is, to procure a sitting 
of eggs from some friend, on whom you can depend, 
for their freshness; and, also, if possible, from a 
place where only a single pair is kept , the reason for 
