43 2 
GAME-BIRDS, 
Guinea-Fowls. 
Turning to 
Africa we come 
to the various species of 
guinea - fowl, representing 
the pheasant tribe in that 
continent, but having the 
plumage of both sexes alike. 
Before passing to the better- 
known genera, we may 
briefly notice two rare West 
African forms of which 
very little is known. Of 
these the black guinea-fowl 
(Phasidus niger), occurring 
between Cape Lopez and 
Loango, is smaller than the 
common guinea-fowl, and 
has the whole of the plumage 
blackish brown, obscurely 
pencilled with brown. With 
the exception of a band of 
black feathers, from the base 
of the bill to the occiput, 
the head and neck are almost 
entirely naked, the skin 
being yellow shading into 
orange on the throat and 
neck, and the male having 
the metatarsus armed with 
a pair of stout spurs, there¬ 
by showing an approach to 
the pheasants. The turkey 
guinea-fowl (Agelastes melea- 
grides), met with further 
north, from Liberia to the 
Gabun, may be recognised by 
having the whole head and 
neck naked, the skin of the 
former being red, darker on 
the crown and hind-neck, 
while the lower-neck is 
milky white; the mantle and 
chest being white, and the 
rest of the plumage black 
finely mottled with white. 
Like the last species the male 
peacock (1 nat. size). 
