THE MEXICAN TURKEY. 119 



weeks, the male not only not as.si^^ting, bnt, according to observations made 

 by Lieut. J. M. F. Partello, Fifth Infantry, U. S. Army, they often destroy the 

 eggs and the tender young. 



In addition to the different foods already mentioned, I know from personal 

 observation that the Mexican Turkey is exceedingly fond of the wild mulberry, 

 as well as tlie fruit of tlie prickly pear, wliicli in soutlicrn Arizona attains a ver\' 

 respectable size; and again of the somewhat smaller but still more palatable 

 fruit of the giant cactus, the pitayah or the sahuara of the natives, which is 

 alike a favorite article of food witli man, bird, and beast. 



The only eggs of this species in the U. S. National Museum collection, 

 about whose identity there can be no possible doul)t, were collected on Upper 

 Lynx Creek, Arizona, in the spring of 1870, by Dr. H Palmer, whose name 

 is well known as one of the pioneer naturalists of that Territory. 



The eggs are ovate in shape, their ground color is creamy wliite, and they 

 are profusely dotted witli tine spots of reddisli brown, pretty evenly distributed 

 over the entire eg'g. The average measurement of these eggs is 09 by 49 milli- 

 metres. The largest measures 70.5 by 49, the smallest G7 1>\' 4S niillimetres. 



The type specimen (No. 15573, U. S. National Museum collection, PI. 3, 

 Fig. 15) is one of the set referred to above. 



Famil}^ CRACID^E. Curassows axd Guans. 

 41. Ortalis vetula maccalli Baird. 



CHACIIALACA. 



Ortalida maccalli Baird, Birds of Nortli America, 1858, Oil. 



Ortalida vetula var. maccalli Baird, History North American Birds, iii, 1S74, 398. 



(B -loG, C 378, R io9, C 552, U 311.) 



Geographical range: Nortlieastern Mexico from Vera Cruz, north to lower 

 Rio Grande Valley (both sides). 



Tlie Chachalaca occupies but a very restricted area within the borders of 

 the United States, being found only along the thickly-timbered river bottoms 

 of tlie Rio Grande, from its mouth to a short distance above Fort Ringgold, 

 Texas, a distance of about 100 miles. It is common in suitable localities in 

 this region, and breeds wherever found. 



Asst. Surg. James C. Merrill, U. S. Army, in his notes on the "Oruitliology 

 of southern Texas," writes as follows: ''The 'Cluu-lialac,' as the present species 

 is called on the Lower Rio Grande, is one of the most characteristic birds of 

 that region. Rarely seen any distance from woods or dense i-liaparral, they 

 ai'e abundant in those places, and ihv'iv hoarse cries are the tirst thing heard by 

 the traveler on awaking in the morning. During tlie day, unless i*aiiiy or 

 cloudy, the birds are rarely seen or heard: l)ut shortly before sunrise and 

 sunset they mount the topmost branch of a dead tree, and make the woods 

 ring- with their discordant notes. Coutrarv to almost cvcrv description of their 



