T.'lG Scott on Meleagris gallopavo osceola. [October 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SUBSPECIES OF WILD 



TURKEY. 



BY \V. h. l>. SCOTT. 



A comparison <>l man) specimens of Wild ["uvkey from the 

 region about Tarpon Springs, Florida, with birds from Virginia 

 ;mil northward shdws such constanl characteristics dividing the 

 two, thai for ilic Florida bird I propose the name 



Mcleagris gallopavo osceola, subsp. nov. Florida Wii i> 



Turkey. 



Description. Similar d> Afeleagris gallopavo but perceptibly darkei 

 in genera! tone. Coloring of tail and /i/</>rr tail-coverts similar in both 

 hums. The white on the primary and outer secondary quills restricted, 

 and the dark coloi (brownish black) predominating, the while being 

 present only as detached, narrow, broken bars not reaching the s/mf/ of 

 the feather. The inner secondaries of a generally ilirtv grayish brown 

 without apparent bars, l>ui with brownish vermiculations on the innei 

 web. 



/V/v, $ , No. 707c ^, collection of American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory, New York. Loaned to the Museum by W. E. D, Scott.. Taken at 

 Tarpon Springs, Florida, by the author. March u>, 1887. 



The new subspecies is named after Osceola, a celebrated and remark- 

 able chief of the Semi note tribe of Indians. 



I'iii convenience, and to make the relationship <>f the three 

 forms of American Wild Turkey apparent, the salient character- 

 istics of both .)/. gallopavo^ and Af. g. mexicana are subjoined. 

 The principal and conspicuous feature of true .)/. gallop a vo, 

 the northern representative of the eastern wild />//■</, is the clear, 

 well-defined black or dark brown and white barring of the pri- 

 mary quills on both inner and outer webs, the bars of the iwo colors 

 being of equal width and the white bars reaching to and touching 

 the shaft of the feather. The barring of the outer secondaries is 

 similar, but \\ bile the white bars are as pure in color as those of 

 the primaries, the darker bars are of decidedly lighter brown and 

 not at all black, as is the ground color of the outer secondaries in 

 osceola. The barring on the inner secondaries while still dis- 

 tinct on holli rtv/'.v, has the darker color, brownish with greenish 

 iridescence, predominating. The color of the tail feathers and. 

 upper tail-coverts is similar in this form ami in osceola. 



