birds are great travellers, often going over fifteen or twenty miles
in the course of the day, but always returning, if possible, to the
water at night; so that by judiciously dodging their steps a thirsty
traveller may find the desired pool, though implicit reliance should
never be placed on this mode of obtaining water. The Guinea-
fowls usually rest during the heat of the day under some mimosa,
resuming their journeyings when the greatest heat is passed. A
flock of these birds is in general easily discovered by their sharp,
discordant, and metallic cries, something like a rapid succession
of blows struck upon iron. They have many enemies, and seek
security at night by roosting in tall mimosas. The flesh of the
young Guinea-fowl is very white, tender, and well-flavoured, but
that of the old birds is far from tempting.
"The eggs of the wild Guinea-fowl are often hatched under
domestic fowls, and the young are not difficult to rear; but as they
grow their propensity for roosting on high trees is rapidly developed,
much to the distress of their foster-mother, which is usually unable
to follow them to their lofty perch. X have also known young
chicks of this species successfully reared when captured in a wild
state; but I have never known an instance of one of these birds,
when tamed, having reared a brood of its own young. The nests
of this species consist of slight rounded depressions in the ground,
and may be found from the end of December to May, containing
from fifteen to twenty eggs of a buffy-white or pale buff-colour,
sometimes obscurely speckled with pale grey.” Professor Barboza
du Bocage states that Senor Anchieta has sent specimens from
Caconda, and from Huilla, as well as from the Ooroca River in
Southern Mossamedes, and from Humbe on the Cunene River. The
last-named traveller gives the native name as Kang a in all places
where the Guinea-fowls are met with.
I t should be noted that Drs. Pinsch and Hartlaub believe in the
existence of two forms of this Guinea-fowl occurring within our
limits, and Professor Barboza du Bocage says that in the specimens
from Caconda and Huilla the neck and crop have white transverse
lines, whereas those from the Coroca River and Humbe have these
lines replaced by white spots similar to the rest of the plumage.
Some of the other characters mentioned by Drs. Pinsch and Hartlaub
are not, however, borne out by the specimens in the Lisbon Museum;
but Professor Bocage thinks that there may be two forms of this
Guinea-fowl in South Africa with different habitats—one, N.
coronata, inhabiting Eastern Africa and spreading out on the central
plateau as far as its nearest points to West Africa ; and the other
N. cornuta, essentially a more southern bird, crossing the Cunene
River to the northward, and approaching the littoral region in the
latitude of Mossamedes.
General colour, dark-grey, profusely spotted with round white
spots; on the outer edges of the wing-feathers these spots are
replaced by dashes; and on the neck they are very small, run into
each other, and become indistinct bars; head bare, with a casque in
some specimens 1 " 16'" in length; tip horny yellow; base, with top
and back of head, cere, and tip of wattles pendant from ba3e of
upper mandibles, bright crimson; neck bare, sparsely sprinkled
with hairs, and together with bare space round eye, brilliant sky-
blue. Length, 16" to 17"; wing, 1 1 ; tail, 6". Mr. Ayres gives
the following soft parts:—“ Male. Iris dusky; bill, blood red,
except the tip and under mandible, which are pale ash-coloured;
tarsi and feet black/’
Fig. Elliot, Mon. Phas. ii. pi. 40.
561. H u m id a v e r r e a u x i , Flliot. Verrcaux’s Guinea-Fowl.
This fine crested Guinea-fowl, distinguished by its top-knot and
by the colouring of the bare neck, is apparently confined to Natal.
Here it was met with by the brothers Verreaux as long ago as the
year 1827, and examples existed for a long time in European
Museums, but the species was always confounded with the West
African N. cristata, from which it is different.
Mr. Ayres writes: “ These fine Guinea-fowls I got in the month of
July at Durban, Natal, where they were being hawked about the
town by Caffre hunters as birds for the table, the flesh being
uncommonly delicate and good. They frequent the densest bush
immediately on the sea range, and are difficult to g e t; the best
method is with dogs accustomed to hunt the bush, as the birds,
when chased, take to the trees, and a good dog will bark until his
master manages with much trouble to get to the spot through
brambles, thorny bushes and nettles innumerable; and then, if due
care is taken to approach without noise, the birds may be potted
from the tree, a flying shot being totally out of the question. The
Guinea-fowls are to be found from the Bay of Natal northwards;