ELLIOT'S RIO GRANDE TURKEY. 181 
ently marked from the hens of all other species of 
Turkeys; sufficiently characteristic in my opinion to give 
the bird specific rank, although I retain its subspecific 
nomenclature. 
MELEAGRIS SYLVESTRIS ELLIOTY. 
Habitat.—Lowlands of southern Texas and eastern Mexico, 
from the Brazos River to Vera Cruz not above 2000 feet of eleva- 
tion. Northeastern Mexico. 
Adult Male.—Head, neck, mantle, upper wing-coverts, and 
breast resemble those of the eastern Wild Turkey, JZ. sylvestris; 
back and rump, jet black, with, in certain lights, a silvery gray 
bar near the ends of all the feathers, and a narrower one on the 
tip, both with roseate reflections; upper tail-coverts, broadly 
tipped with ochraceous buff (and this is the general color of the 
lower rump and upper tail-coverts), remaining parts, chestnut, 
irregularly crossed with black lines, succeeded by a black bar 
with metallic copper bronze reflections; back and rump, jet 
black; lower back, with a coppery metallic bar near the tip of the 
feathers; tail, mottled with pale chestnut and black, a black 
band near the end and the tip ochraceous buff; under tail- 
coverts, black, with metallic green, bronze, and red reflections, 
and broadly tipped with ochraceous buff. Wing, 21 inches; tail, 
19; tarsus, 64. 
Young Male has the feathers of the breast, under parts, flanks, 
back, andrump conspicuously tipped with ochraceous buff. 
Adult Female.—Smaller than male, general hue, black, with 
the metallic iridescent hues of the male present on the back, wings, 
and under surface; feathers of the entire upper parts have black 
bars near the ends and grayish tips, becoming broader on the 
lower back and rump; feathers of under surface tipped with pale 
buff; upper and under tail-coverts and tail resemble those of the 
male, and all except the under coverts have very pale ochraceous 
buff tips. 
