THE MEXICAN TURKEY. 119 



weeks, the male not only not assisting, but, according to observations made 

 by Lieut. J. M. F. Partello, Fifth Infantry, U. S. Army, they often destroy the 

 eggs and the tender young. 



In addition to the different foods already mentioned, I know from personal 

 observation that the Mexican Turkey is exceedingly fond of the wild mulberry, 

 as well as the fruit of the prickly pear, which in southern Arizona attains a very 

 respectable size; and again of the somewhat smaller but still more palatable 

 fruit of the giant cactus, the pitayah or the sahuara of the natives, which is 

 alike a favorite article of food with man, bird, and beast. 



The only eggs of this species in the U. S. National Museum collection, 

 about whose identity there can be no possible doubt, were collected on Upper 

 Lynx Creek, Arizona, in the spring of 1870, by Dr. E. Palmer, whose name 

 is well known as one of the pioneer naturalists of that Territory. 



The eggs are ovate in shape, their ground color is creamy white, and they 

 are profusely dotted with fine spots of reddish brown, pretty evenly distributed 

 over the entire egg. The average measurement of these eggs is 69 by 49 milli- 

 metres. The largest measures 70.5 by 49, the smallest 67 by 48 millimetres. 



The type specimen (No. 15573, U. S. National Museum collection, PI. 3, 

 Fig. 15) is one of the set referred to above. 



Family CRACID^E. CURASSOWS AND GUANS. 

 41. Ortalis vetula maccalli BAIRD. 



CHACHALAC'A. 



Ortalida maccalli BAIRD, Birds of North America, 1858, Oil. 



Ortalida vetula var. maccalli BAIRD, History North American Birds, ill, 1874, 398. 



(B 450, C 378, R 469, C 552, U 311.) 



GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE: Northeastern Mexico from Vera Cruz, north to lower 

 Rio Grande Valley (both sides). 



The Chachalaca occupies but a very restricted area within the borders of 

 the United States, being found only along the thickly-timbered river bottoms 

 of the Rio Grande, from its mouth to a short distance above Fort Ringgold, 

 Texas, a distance of about 100 miles. It is common in suitable localities in 

 this region, and breeds wherever found. 



Asst. Surg. James C. Merrill, U. S. Army, in his notes on the "Ornithology 

 of southern Texas," writes as follows: "The 'Chachalac,' as the present species 

 is called on the Lower Rio Grande, is one of the most characteristic birds of 

 that region. Rarely seen any distance from woods or dense chaparral, they 

 are abundant in thoge places, and their hoarse cries are the first thing heard by 

 the traveler on awaking in the morning. During the day, unless rainy or 

 cloudy, the birds are rarely seen or heard; but shortly before sunrise and 

 sunset they mount the topmost branch of a dead tree, and make the woods 

 ring with their discordant notes. Contrary to almost every description of their 



