CHAPTER IV 

 THE WILD TURKEY 



Still Found. The idea seems widely prevalent that the 

 genuine wild turkey is nearly extinct, and, furthermore, 

 even if it were not, that it is by nature so hopelessly wild 

 that nothing could be done with it under the control of man. 

 Both these notions are mistaken. The noble great birds are 

 still quite plentiful in various forested parts of the Middle 

 and Southern States, both in mountainous and in swampy 

 regions. 



Races of Turkey. There is also widespread uncertainty 

 as to what constitutes a "wild turkey," so explanation may 

 be desirable. Our Eastern wild turkey [Meleagris gallopavo 

 sylvestris) is a subspecies of the Mexican turkey, which 

 was the form originally described, and from which the 

 domesticated race, introduced over Europe and America, 

 was derived. There are also other subspecific forms now 

 recognized. The Florida turkey is a somewhat smaller race, 

 similar to the Eastern form, found in southern Florida. 

 The Merriam's and Rio Grande turkeys grade toward the 

 Mexican form, and are more like it. 



True Type Described. The essential and easily recogniz- 

 able characters of the wild turkey are found in the feathers 

 of the tail and rump. In the genuine native Eastern wild 

 turkey the tail is of a dark reddish cast and ends in a tip of 

 dark brown, never of white or whitish. Also the rump 

 feathers of the back, above the tail, are dark reddish at their 



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