614 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SDRVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



mentioned, the tarsi have two series of scutellae before, instead of one ; the posterior and lateral 

 surfaces reticulated. The tail is very short, and concealed by its coverts. 



The species of turkey have usually been considered as two, the North American wild bird, 

 from which the domestic turkey was supposed to have descended, and the ocellated turkey, M. 

 ocellata, of Honduras, and other portions of Central America. The latter is one of the most beautiful 

 of known birds, with numerous small fleshy tubercles on the head, different from those of the 

 domestic turkey. The feathers exhibit reflections of metallic bronze, gold, green, and blue, 

 while the tail coverts and tail exhibit four series of large ocellated spots. The tail is said to 

 have but fourteen feathers. 



The question has been recently agitated whether the supposed single species of common 

 turkey, tame and wild, is not really divisible into two or even three, and in the following 

 pages the reasons wijl be presented upon which an opinion of the kind may be based. In the 

 mean time, the following diagnoses will serve to show the differences which really appear to 

 exist in the series of wild turkeys of the type of the North American bird. 



Common characters. — Head livid blue, legs red, general color copper bronze, with copper and 

 green reflections, each feather with a velvet black margin ; all the quills brown, closely barred 

 with white. Tail feathers chestnut, narrowly barred with black ; the tip with a very broad, 

 subterminal black bar. 



Tail coverts dark purplish chestnut throughout, with the tips not lighter. Tip of tail 



feathers scarcely paler chestnut than the ground color M. gallopavo. 



Tail coverts chestnut, the tips much paler, sometimes almost white. Tip of tail feathers 

 light brownish yellow ; sometimes with the coverts broadly whitish M. mexicanus. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



