^12 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Meleagris mexifayia, and is tlie first to suggest that it is derived from tlie domesticated bird, and 

 not from tlie common Wild Turkey of eastern North America, on which he retains the name of 

 M. (jallopavn, of Linuffius. }le stated that the jieculiarities of the new species consist chiefly in 

 the creamy-white tips of the tail-feathers and of the upper tail-coverts, with some other points of 

 minor iiuportance. 1 suggest that the Wild Turkey of New Mexico, as refen'ed to by various 

 writers, belongs to this new species, and not to the M. gallopavo. 



In 1858, in the Ke]iort on the birds collected by the Pacific Kailroad Expedition (Vol. IX, p. 

 618, of the series of Pacilic Kailroad Reports), I referred to this subject, and established the 

 existence in North America of two species of Wild Turkey, — one belonging to eastern, the 

 other to middle. North America. JIuch additional material has since corroborated this view, and 

 while the M. gallopavo is found along the Missouri River and eastward, and extends into Eastern 

 Texas, the other is now known to belong to the Llano Estacado and other parts of Western Texas, 

 to New Mexico, and to Arizona. 



The recent acquisition of a fine male Turkey by the Smithsonian Institution from the vicinity 

 of Mount Orizaba, in Mexico, and its comparison with a skin from Santa Fe, enables me to assert 

 the positive identity of our Western and the Mexican species, and one readily separable from the 

 better known wild bird of the eastern United States. There is now little reason to doubt that 

 the tnie origin of the barnyard Turkey is to be sought for in the Mexican species, and not in 

 the North American, — an hypothesis which explains the fact of the difficulty in establishing a 

 cross between our wild and tame birds. 



The presumed diflferences between the two species may be briefly indicated as consisting 

 principally in the creamy or fulvous white of the tips of the tail-feathers and of the feathers 

 overlying the base of the tail and of the hinder part of the back of the Mexican and typical 

 bamyard birds, as compared with the decided chestnut-brown of the same parts in the eastern 

 Wild Turkey. There are other differences, but they are less evident, and those indicated will 

 readil}' serve to distinguish the two species. 



The true wild bird of eastern North America always has the tips of the tail-feathers and 

 upper tail-covert of a chestnut -brown color ; the Mexican species and its descendant of the 

 bamyard never exhibit this feature. 



Sometimes this domesticated bird is exactly like its wild original, differing only in rather 

 greater development of the fatty lobes of the head and neck ; and of this an example may be 

 seen in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. 



There is a variety of the domestic bird which is entirely black, sometimes even including the 

 larger quills, which in both species are naturally banded with white, and in this there ma)' be 

 little or no trace of any bauds at the end of the tail and of its upper coverts ; but whatever 

 may be the asseverations of the sportsman, the poultry-dealer, or the farmer, as to the " wild- 

 ness " of any particular bird, or what the circumstances attendant upon its capture or death by 

 trapping, shooting, or otherwise, implicit confidence may be placed in the test above indicated, 

 namely : if the tips of tail and tail-covert are chestnut-brown, the specimen belongs to the J/. 

 gallopavo or " Wild Turkey "; if the same part is either entirely black or any shade of whitish or 

 light fulvous, then it is a " bamyard " fowl. 



The following extract from a letter written by Dr. Sartorius, the accomplished naturalist, to 

 whom the Smithsonian Institution owes the specimen of the wild Mexican bird referred to above, 

 will be read with interest. 



" MiRASOR, State op Vera Crc7, 

 January 20, 186T. 



"I am entirelj' of your opinion in regard to the origin of the domestic Turkey, as our wild 

 bird difl'ers from the tame only in the less amount of development of the fatt)' lobes of the head 

 and neck. 



" Mclcogris mcxicana is tolerably abundant in this neighborhood, belonging more especially 

 to the sparsely overgrown savannas between the region of the oaks and the coast, the Tierra 

 C'aliente or ' warm region ' proper. It is a very shy bird, living in families like the wild Geese, 

 and keeping sentinels on the watch whenever the flock is feeding in the vicinity of threatened 

 danger. It derives its nourishment from plants and insects on the gi-ound, and scratches with 

 its feet to aid in the sean-h for food. In running, the swiftest dog cannot overtake it. It is not 



