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NUMIDA VULTURIN A, Hardw.

Num. capite, guld colloque superiore plumis egentibus, pilis attamen mgris adspersis ad collum longioribus ;
° me + TR Ne a iA ee ne . ee r Me
lanuginosis fuscis crebré vestitd ; collo inferiore plumis elongatis lanceo

centralem ostendentibus ; hance lined sordide migra et albo irroratd,

nucha plumis
latisque ornato, singulis strigam albam
he ae cingente, margineque exteriore ceruleo ; plumis
a eres las simulantibus, latioribus attamen, striga alba centrali angustiore, guttisque parvulis albis in
lineam nigram oblique currentibus ; alarum tectricibus, dorso, uropygio, caudd, tectricibus caude, erissoque, cum
Femoribus, nigrescenti-fuscis, guttis rotundatis crebré ornatis singulis nigro circumdatis, intervallis guttis parvulis
sordide albis irroratis ; primariis fuscis, pogoniis externis apicibusque guttis sordidé “cle ornatis ; secundariis
nmigrescenti-fuscis, pogoniis externis lineis albis imperfectis tribus longitudinaliter notatis ; pogoniis internis seriem
triphicem guttarum albarum ostendentibus ; pectore lateribusque abdominis metallice ceruleis ; abdomine medio nigro ;
lateribus sordidé rosaceis guttis albis nigro-cinctis crebré notatis ; rostro sordidé rubro ; pedibus fuscis.

Long. tot. 18 une. ; rostri, 2; ale, 11; caude, 52; tarsi, oe

Head, throat, and upper part of the throat destitute of feathers but besprinkled with hairs of a black colour, which
are longest on the neck ; nape thickly clothed with short velvet-like brown feathers ; lower part of the neck
ornamented with long lanceolate and flowing feathers, which have a broad stripe of white down the centre, to
which on each side succeeds a line of dull black, finely dotted with white, and margined with fine blue ;
feathers of the anterior part of the back of a similar form, but broader and with a narrower line of white
down the centre, and with the minute white dots disposed in irregular and obliquely transverse lines; wing-
coverts, back, rump, tail, upper and under tail-coverts and thighs blackish brown, ornamented with numerous
round and irregular spots of white surrounded with circles of black, the intermediate spaces filled with very
minute dots of dull white; primaries brown with light shafts and spots of brownish white on the outer web,
and the tips of the inner; secondaries brownish black, with three imperfect lines of white disposed lengthwise
on the outer web, and three rows of irregular spots of white on the inner web ; breast and sides of the abdo-
men beautiful metallic blue; centre of the abdomen black; flanks dull pmk with numerous spots of white

surrounded with circles of black ; bill brownish red; feet brown.

Numida vulturina, Hardw., in Proc. of Zool. Soc. Part I. 1834. p. 52.

 

Tue Guinea Fowls, as they are familiarly termed, constitute one of the most isolated groups among the
Gallinacee ; five or six species are now known, all of which are from Africa.

Independently of the chaste and delicately spotted markings which adorn the whole a this tribe, the neck
of the present species is ornamented by a ruff of lanceolate flowing plumes, ee new feature, as well as the
head being entirely devoid of fleshy appendages, render it conspicuously different from all its congeners. . We
; 1 account of its history, further than that our figure is taken from an example, in all

are not able to furnish any
Service Museum, to which it was presented

ee 4 : j : A a
probability unique, forming a part of the collection of the United
by Captain Probyn. It is certainly one of the most noble birds that has been discovered for some years, and

Yates 5 y to eee oe i es ; : . caer a aati
we indulge in the hope that the period may not be far distant when we shall become better acquainted with
the species, and that living individuals may eve rn er
would doubtless thrive equally as well as its allied congener, which is so familiar to all and whose original
stock is still found in a wild state in the part of Africa which the present lovely species is supposed to
inhabit.

Habitat Western Africa.
The figure is of the natural size.

n become denizens of our menageries and farmyards, where it