ZOOLOGY 
347 
up on the branches during the hot hours of the day as well as at night. 
The young poults are caught by the natives and brought for sale to the 
European in whose fowl yards they become quickly domesticated. Yet, strange 
to say, the native in this case as in that of all other birds and beasts of Africa, 
has no idea of keeping them about his own home. His only domestic animals 
and birds are those which he has had introduced to him either from the north, 
through Egypt, or by the Portuguese. The young guinea fowl not only take 
very rapidly to domestication, but with a little personal attention will become 
extremely attached to their owners—ridiculously attached I might say—in such 
a manner as is never exhibited by the domestic fowl. One of these birds 
at Zomba used to be called the “ Sergeant.” It was the most extraordinarily 
tame creature that I have ever known amongst Gallinaceous birds, who as 
a rule though easily domesticated evince very little affection. But this guinea 
fowl would not only go for long walks with us but would every now and then 
run in front of us and perform strange love antics. It disliked the negroes and 
often chased them away by pecking at their heels unless, that is, they were 
obviously engaged in work with us. For instance if a squad of native police 
were being put through their drill then the guinea fowl in a pompous manner 
would march alongside the officer and not annoy the men, but if an idle native 
came up to beg the bird was at him in a moment and would drive him away 
for some distance. This was not an isolated case as several other guinea fowl 
have made nearly equally affectionate pets. There are two species of francolins 
and one of Pternistes. This latter is a type of francolin which has "the skin of 
the head and a portion of the neck and face bare and brightly coloured. The 
francolins are remarkably good birds for the table, in size and flavour something 
between a pheasant and a partridge. Unfortunately they are not readily domesti¬ 
cated, being in this respect quite different from the guinea fowl. In captivity 
they sulk and generally die after a few months from deprivation of their liberty. 
That curious low type of Gallinaceous bird—the Hemipode—is represented 
by two species —Turnix nnna and T. lepurana. 
Finally, I may again draw the reader’s attention to the fact that the Ostrich 
is not present in British Central Africa. 
APPENDIX III. 
LIST OF BIRDS RECORDED FROM BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA 
Note. —This list is mainly based on the papers published in the Proceedings of the Zoological 
Society by Captain G. E. Shelley, to which I add a few notes of my own. I have also inserted the names 
of species known to be present in this country, though not represented by skins sent home. These 
additional names are placed between brackets. The order in which the species are arranged is slightly 
different to the classification adopted by Captain Shelley. The abbreviation sp. nov. indicates that the 
species was first made known by our collections. 
Order, Passeriformes, 
sunbirds. 
Cinnyris falke?isteini; Falkenstein’s Sun- 
bird. 
Cinnyris cupreus; the Copper-tinted Sun- 
bird. 
Chalcomiira gutturalis. 
Cyanomitra olivacea. 
A ?ithothreptes longuemarii. 
Anthothreptes hypodilus. 
Zosterops anderssoni; white-eyed Honey-bird. 
