BIRDS. 257 
The Pintado is somewhat larger than the common hen ; 
the head is bare of feathers, and covered with a naked 
skin of a bluish colour; on the top is a callous protuber- 
ance of a conical form. At the base of the bill on each 
side hangs a loose wattle, red in the female and bluish in 
the male. The general colour of the plumage is a dark 
bluish grey, sprinkled with round white spots of different 
sizes, resembling pearls, from which circumstance the 
epithet of pearled has been applied to this bird ; which, 
at first sight, appears as if it had been pelted by a strong 
shower of hail. These spots, which we find of a larger 
dimension upon some of the feathers of the pheasant, and 
bigger still on the tail of the peacock, are convincing 
proofs of a near relationship between these fowts. 
If trained when young, these birds may soon be .ren- 
dered tame. M. Brue informs us, that when he was on 
the coast of Senegal, he received, as a present from an 
African princess, two Guinea fowls. Both these birds 
were so familiar that they would approach the table and 
eat out of his plate ; and, when they had liberty to fly 
about upon the beach, they always returned to the ship 
when the dinner or supper bell rang. 
In a wild state, it is asserted that the Pintado associates 
in numerous flocks. Dampier speaks of having seen be- 
twixt two and three hundred of them together in the 
Cape de Verd Islands. They were originally introduced 
into our country from the coast of Africa, somewhat 
earlier than the year 1260. 
This bird has, of late years, considerably increased in 
this country, and is often seen hanging at the poultry 
shops and in the markets; the great abundance of them 
has considerably reduced their value, and they sell now, 
proportionally, like other fowls. The eggs are smaller 
than those of the common hen, and rounder, of a speckled 
reddish-brown colour. They are esteemed a very delicate 
food. 
