M&N.HanWt- imp
■N U ^ I H R M A N j I
NUMIDA ORANTI, mm.
TilK KIRORO GUINEA-FOWL.
NUMIDA GRANTI, Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1871) p.
H ab. Ugogo, Central Africa (G rant) .
T h is apparently distinct form of Guinea-fowl was described by me, in tbe ‘ Proceedings of the. Zoological: Society o f London,’
from a coloured drawing of the specimen shot by'. Col. J . A. Grant, while at Ugogo, when making his adventurous journey
through Central Africa with Capt. Speke. It was the only one obtained; but, unfortunately, the skin was not brought to
England. Col. Grant has sent me the following accoubt, taken fromfejns journal, which is all that is known of the species a B
“ On the 8tli o f December, 1860, when shooting on the border of the Ugogo forest, a t 61° S. lat. and 351° E. long., I saw
two or three strange-looking Guinea-fowls running through the bushes. Their bodies were not so round as the ordinary
Guinea-fowl’s ; and on shooting one,, it turned out to be a distinct species, of the description o f which, - written on the spot, I
have already sent a copy. This specimen, to the best of my recollection, was skinned'; and we eat the flesh. In picking
its merry-thought, I observed that it was perfectly different in construction from any I had ever se e n ; but I regret that I
cannot find any notice of its form, though, in my ‘ Walk across Africa,’ published in 1864, I recorded its peculiarity at
page 37. I remember raising tbe ‘ top-knot ’ from the back of the head and seeing the baldness o f this p a r t: it reminded
me <ff the heads of some races who shave that part, or of a man who wears a wig. My description mentions the ‘ back
o f head, eyes, • nostrils, and windpipe red sealing-wax colour;’ this certainly implies that there was round these parts a circle
red colour. As far as I can remember, we'never met with this bird in any other locality; and we never remarked its call.
Its weight is marked about three pounds, whereas the Common Guinea-fowl, abundant on all parts o f our journey, is three
and a quarter to three and a half pounds weight. Some of our men (Huas, inhabitants of 9° 10" S;.:-l3| | | recognized this
bird and called it the ‘Kiroro.’ ”
Head with a large jet-black crest, curving backwards; head and throat bright re d ; back and lower part o f the neck
purplish black; entire plumage black, spotted all over with bluish white dots; primaries bright brown; outer webs of the
first secondaries white; tip of tail and line above knee-joint black, unspotted; bill greenish; feet and legs black.