The COMMON GUINEA FOWL (_Numida meleagris_), the species from which our
domestic bird is derived, when in its wild state, has the breast and
nape unspotted lilac, and the back and rump grey, enlivened by small
white dots, surrounded with a dark line. On the upper wing-covers these
spots increase in size, and merge into narrow stripes on the outer webs
of the secondary quills; the under side is greyish black, adorned with
large round spots; the quills are brownish, streaked with white on the
outer, and irregularly dotted and marked on the inner web; the dark grey
tail-feathers are beautifully spotted, and those at the exterior partially
striped. The broad lappets and comb are red, the eye is dark brown,
the region of the cheek and the crest blueish white, the beak reddish
horn-grey, the foot dull grey, and the toes flesh-colour. When tamed and
reared, this species produces a race of much larger birds; these have the
plumage very variously marked, and occasionally are entirely of a whitish
or reddish hue.