nor on the peninsula of Lower California; but there can be 

 no reason to doubt that, had the mountains of Arizona 

 connected with the pines of the Coast range in San 

 Bernardino county or with the Sierras of Inyo or Kern, 

 the mountains of California would have been as well 

 supplied with turkey as are its valleys with quail. 



Color The color of the wild turkey varies very much 

 except in those that are found in the higher mountains 

 and far away from civilization. Domestication of over 

 three hundred and fifty years has not yet robbed the 

 turkey of its love for the wild and they are often seen 

 long distances away from the farms feeding contented- 

 ly. In countries where the wild turkey still existed 

 these tame varieties of various colors have mixed with 

 them, often to such an extent as to change the color 

 very materially. I have seen flocks in Mexico ranging 

 close to ranch houses with turkeys among them so light- 

 colored that they were no doubt tame birds that had 

 wandered away with their wild progenitors. 



The wild turkey of Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico and 

 Colorado is a dark bronze bird with a light-colored 

 rump, caused by the upper tail coverts being tipped 

 with a broad subterminal band of white, narrowly tipped 

 with black. The tail feathers are dark brown, spotted 

 with black and tipped with white. 



Nest and Eggs The nest of the wild turkey is gen- 

 erally in a depression in the ground, high up on the 

 mountains, and carefully hidden away in some dense 

 thicket. I cannot call to mind ever seeing but two 

 nests. One of these had but seven eggs while the other had 

 seventeen. The markings are the same as those of the 

 tame turkey. 



Measurements The total length varies from three to 

 four and a half feet; wing 18 to 24 inches. 



THE MONGOLIAN PHEASANT 

 (Phasianus torquatus) 



While the wild turkey is the only representative of 

 the Phasianidae found native to the American continent, 

 the Mongolian pheasant has been so successfully ac- 

 climatized in Oregon and Washington that it must now 

 be recognized as an established resident species. 



After it became an established fact that these pheas- 

 ants were proving a success in Oregon, there became a 

 demand for their introduction into California, and thou- 

 sands of dollars were spent for a number of years in 

 an unsuccessful effort to acclimatize them. 

 35 



