NUMIDA, in ornithology, a genus belonging to the order of gallinæ. On each side of the head there is a kind of coloured fleshy horn; and the beak is furnished with cere near the nostrils. The species called meleagris, or Guinea hen, is a native of Africa. It is larger than a common hen. Its body is sloped like that of a partridge, and its colour is all over a dark grey, very beautifully spotted with small white specks; there is a black ring round the neck; its head is reddish, and it is blue under the eyes. They naturally herd together in large numbers, and breed up their young in common; the females taking care of the broods of others, as well as of their own. Barbou informs us, that in Guinea they go in flocks of 200 or 300, perch on trees, and feed on worms and grasshoppers; that they are run down and taken by dogs; and that their flesh is tender and sweet, generally white, though sometimes black. They breed
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very well with us. Mr Latham observes, "that the native place of this bird is, without doubt, Africa, and that it is the meleagris of old authors. It is supposed originally to have come from Nubia, and was esteemed in the Roman banquets. It has been met with wild in flocks of two or three hundred by various travellers. Dampier found them in numbers in the island of Mayo; and Forster speaks of them as numerous at St Jago; but they have been transported into the West Indies and America, and are now in a wild state in those places, as well as domesticated."
The white-breasted one is a mere variety, of which there are many: it is mostly found in Jamaica. The mitred, or numida mitrata, is a different and not a common species: it inhabits Madagascar and Guinea. Pallas seems to think that it may be the bird mentioned by Columella, as differing from the common one; and will account for Pliny's having thought the numida and meleagris to be different birds. The third species which Mr Latham mentions is the crested, or numida cristata. This species likewise inhabits Africa. Perhaps it may have some relation to the crested sort which Maregrave mentions to have seen, and which came from Sierra Leon. This had a kind of membranous collar about the neck, was of a bluish ash-colour, and had a large roundish black crest. Buffon, who describes it at great length, calls it la pintade. Linnaeus and Gmel. call it Numida meleagris, &c. Ray and Will. call it gallus and gallina Guineensis, &c. Mr Pennant contends, and seems to prove, that the pintados had been early introduced into Britain, at least prior to the year 1277. But they seem to have been much neglected on account of the difficulty of rearing them; for they occur not in our ancient bills of fare. They have a double caruncle at the chaps, and no fold at the throat.