THE BIRD BOOK 



TURKEYS. Family MELEAGRID^ 



810. Wild TuuKEY. 



Meleagris gallopavo silvestris. 



Range. — Eastern United States from southern 

 Middle States south to central Florida and west 

 to the Missippi Valley and eastern Texas. These 

 magnificent hirds, which once ranged over the 

 whole of eastern United States, are being yearly 

 confined to a smaller range, chiefly because of the 

 destruction of their natural covers, and from per- 



Buff 



secution by hunters. They are generally very 



wary birds and either escape by running through 



J ML » 4 ifcV*^'*'''^^'"^!B!'^^?^" ^^^^ underbrush or by flying as soon as a human 



«^C!*'^ ^k'wJwC?** being appears in sight. Their nests are made 



under tangled growths of underbrush or briers. 



Their eggs, which are laid during April and May, 



"'""*' " range from eight to sixteen in number. They are 



Sag-e Hen t, ^ of a buff color sprinkled and spotted with brown- 



Wild Turkey j^j^ gj^^ 2.55 x 1.80. Data.— Hammond, La., April 

 17, 1897. Fifteen eggs. Nest hollow scraped in the ground under a bush on 

 the edge of a pine woods; lined with grasses and leaves. Collector, E. A. Mc- 

 llhenny. 



310a. Merriam's Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo merriami. 



Range. — Southwestern United States from Colorado south through western 

 Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico. 



This variety is abundant throughout its range, its nesting habits and eggs 

 being practically indistiguishable from those of the eastern form. 



190 



