Nl lMIDA CRISTATA.
CRESTED GUINEA-FOWL
NUMIDA CRISTATA, Pall. Spie. Zool. vol. iv. pL ii. p. 15.—Hartl. Orn. W. Afr. p. 200.—Lath. Gen. Hist. vol. viii. pi. 122.—Vieül. Gal.. Ois.
t. 209.—Gray, List Gall. 0 8 6 7 ) p. 44. sp. 5—Temm^ig. et Gall. (1815) vol. iii. p. 583.—G.R. Gray, Hand-list of Birds, pt. ii. p. 263,
no. 9634.—Hartl. & Finsch, Reis. Ost-Afr. (1870) p: 572.—Sclat. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863) p. 126..
GUTTERA CRISTATA, Wagl. Isis ( 1832) , p. 1225.—Gray, List B. Brit. Mus. (1844) p. 30.—Bon. Compt. Rend. (1856) p. 876.
NUMIDA A2GYPTIACA, Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. ii. p. 622.
NUMIDA EDOUARDI, Hartl. Jour^fiir Omith. (1867) pp. 36, 37.
H ab. Western Africa : Sierra. Leone, Ashantee, and Aguapim (H a r t l . ) . <
( ’ exists in the synonymy of' the different species of Crested Guinea-fowl, and I do not consider it satisfactorily
hiJ*CTt?ùfafÿliot' many >ve should ra ro g i:r/.e.-|j§ ij|ffli|r/n r n o t 'th e . three, known as cmtata, Paç/usnm, ar.d Verreaiai are: distinct,
or merely geographical races, of one species which must hear the. nOmé present bird, ¡t|is ) impossibilité determine. The
differences ^ !>remfc ofî' :S S î ® e" ;
cmtata abouishalf as much and Pmlxram none at .all Excepting in1 this partuSjlari t b e jG jV r ■ i - " ÿ ÿ .OE f # 1'» hi every pointy
and ivith our present information it would appear that perhaps they should he classed only as races. N . Granli ill its red head,
although otherwise not appreciably different in a drawing from the other forms, most be considered distinct, as the red m a rk in g s ^
tbelre stfumconfined ¡toilfnl chin andbtLoati . tbe|Ê g |^ or. back o fe b e head. The present bird
was described many years ago by Pallas, and a drawing of it published ivhiçb, detective in many points, served to show the principal
Although known toi nM i f Î f ts Period' ■»•tbii.g, regiriling its economy Jfflhabits has been
recorded by the numerous adventurous travellers who have penetrated the country in which it is found. Western Africa appears to
be its’ habitat ; but whether the. species extends to the borders of the land where its allies bwelb is unknown, l l ’heyhave not" t<l / ar
as I am aware, ever been met with: together ; ami the: Crr.sled,GuuL,fov,ls from the various: portions ppl the African cyirttirient are
always consistent in presenting .their different style of marking, showing that, H t h e y n ^ i i # - b .% ; | ^ K species, they are at least
thoroughly well established races.
Head covered with a thick full black crest, rest of head and neck bare, blue on the sides and back, red on the throat. Upper
part of neck and breast j e t black ; rest of plumage black,, glossed with green and thickly covered with light greenish spots.
Wings spotted like the body. Primaries brown ; outer webs of secondaries buff, end of tail black, unspotted. Bill light, horn-
colour, feet and legs blackish brown. The figure is life-size.