158 



Booth of Philadelphia, and Dr. S. L. Snowden Piggott of Balti- 

 more, who have analyzed specimens, in which the phosphoric acid 

 had combined with both oxide of iron and alumina. 



Dr. Hayes stated that the economical value of this substance 

 is great, as a mineral fertilizer, it dilFering in this respect from 

 the common guano which derives its importance in agriculture 

 from its organic elements. 



Dr. Hayes also gave an account of the formation of 

 Monk's Island, with the probable changes that its surface 

 had undergone. 



Dr. Bryant read the following communication on a 

 supposed new species of Turkey recently described by 

 Mr. Gould. 



In the January number of the Annals of Natural History, Mr. 

 Gould describes a new species of turkey, from the mountains of 

 Mexico. In the same article, he states that the domestic turkey 

 did not originate from the common wild turkey, Meleagris gcdlo- 

 pavo ; grounding this assertion principally on two facts, namely, 

 the difference in the structure of the two birds, and their not 

 readily breeding together. How far climate and other influences 

 may have affected the domestic variety in England, I do not 

 know, but with us neither of these statements is correct. If it 

 were not for the difference of plumage it would be impossible in 

 many cases to distinguish the two birds ; and even with this aid 

 it is sometimes very difficult to decide with certainty when the 

 specimen is a female. I can give no reason why the wild turkey 

 should be unwilling to breed with the domestic variety in Eng- 

 land, except that they are probably kept in confinement, to which 

 even the domestic bird with us unwillingly submits. At any rate, 

 this is not the case in the United States. The wild turkey 

 breeds here with the tame variety quite as readily as could be 

 expected ; whenever wild turkeys are numerous, it is an ordinary 

 occurrence for the tame hen to prefer the wild gobbler to the 

 domestic ones. I have had in my own possession wild hens that 

 bred with a tame gobbler, a fact much stranger than that of the 

 wild gobbler breeding with the tame hen. But the most satis- 



