618 



U. S. p. E, R, EXP, AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



List of specimens. 



MELEAGRIS MEXICANA, Gould. 



Mexican Tiirker. 



Meleagris mexicana, Godld, Pr. Zool. See. 1856, 61. 



In the series of turkey skins before me, I find that all from the vicinity of the Rocky 

 mountains differ strikingly from those east of the Mississippi in the feathers of the sides of the 

 body behind, and in the upper and under tail coverts. These are all tipped with light brownish 

 yellow for about half an inch, more or less, with the region, and the tail is tipped with the 

 same. The chestnut ground of the tail and coverts is also considerably lighter. The gloss on 

 the feathers of the rump is green, not purple. The coverts, too, lack in a measure the purple 

 shade in the chestnut. The metallic reflections generally have rather more green than in the 

 eastern bird. 



In one specimen (female, 10030, from Fort Thorn) the light edgings are almost white, and 

 so much extended as to conceal the entire rump. All the feathers of the under parts of the 

 body are edged broadly with white, and the tail is tipped with the same for more than an 

 inch. This specimen also has the head considerably more hairy than in the eastern skins, but 

 the others from the same region do not differ so much in this respect from eastern ones. 



Whether these differences can be considered as establishing a second species for the United 

 States is a question yet to be decided. It is certain that these peculiarities are constant in all 

 before me, while the eastern skins all agree precisely in their characteristics as described. The 

 New Mexican turkeys, with white tips to the tail feathers and coverts, correspond, in a very 

 striking degree, with the 31. mexicana of Gould. 



List of specimens. 



