WILD TURKEY. 217 



neck are tipped ■with ferruginous, constituting a longitudinal vitta on 

 that part ; the caruncle on the frontlet is rudimental, not susceptible 

 of being elongated ; the pectoral appendage is entirely wanting in our 

 specimen. The general plumage is dusky-gray, each feather having a 

 metallic band, less brilliant than that of the male, then a blackish band, 

 and a grayish terminal fringe; the black subterminal band is obsolete 

 on the feathers of the neck, and of the whole inferior surface ; those of 

 the latter part, with the feathers of the lower portion of the back, of the 

 rump, and the flanks, have their tips yellowish-ferruginous, becoming 

 gradually brighter towards the tail. The vent and thighs are dirty 

 yellowish-gray, without any reflections ; the under tail coverts are 

 tipped, and varied with rather deep ferruginous ; the superior tail 

 coverts are like those of the male, but duller, and tipped with a 

 broad, whitish-ferruginous fringe. The wings are also duller, each 

 covert being tipped with grayish ; less white exists on the primaries, the 

 bands being narrower, and the secondaries entirely destitute of them. 

 The tail is similar in color to that of the male. It is proper to remark, 

 that the female which furnished the above description, and is figured in 

 the plate, though certainly adult, had not attained to its full size and 

 perfect beauty. It was procured in the month of March, on St. John's 

 river, Florida. 



The young of both sexes resemble each other so closely, before the 

 naked membrane acquires its tinge of red, as to be scarcely distinguish- 

 able ; the females, however, when a few days old, are somewhat larger 

 than the males, and have a weaker piping note ; the males then begin to 

 stand higher on their legs, which are stronger than those of the fe- 

 males, and soon exhibit the rudiments of spurs. On the approach' of 

 the first winter, the young males show a rudiment of the beard or fasci- 

 cle of hairs on the breast, consisting of a mere tubercle, and attempt to 

 strut and gobble ; the second year the hairy tuft is about three inches 

 long ; in the third the Turkey attains its full stature, although it cer- 

 tainly increases in size and beauty for several years longer. In a fine 

 male specimen, evidently young, which I obtained in the Philadelphia 

 market, the plumage is equally brilliant with that of the finest adult, 

 although the frontal caruncle is only one inch in length, the pectoral 

 appendage two inches, and the spur merely rudimental. The concealed 

 portion of the plumage on the anterior part of the back is sprinkled 

 with pale ferruginous, which disappears as the bird advances in age. 



Females of four years old have their full size and coloring ; they 

 then possess the pectoral fascicle, four or five inches long (which, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Audubon, they exhibit a little in the second year, if not 

 barren), but this fascicle is much thinner than that of the male. The 

 barren hens do not obtain this distinction until a very advanced age; 

 and, being preferable for the table, the hunters single them from the 



