GALLINACEOUS BIRDS 



31 Ob. FLORIDA TURKEY. Meleagris gallopavo osceola. 



Range. Southern Florida. 



A small variety of the Wild Tur- 

 key, about 42 inches long. They 

 breed in the tangled thickets in the 

 higher portions of the southern 

 half of Florida, laying from ten to 

 sixteen eggs of a brighter and 

 deeper buff color than the northern 

 variety, and smaller; size 2.30 x 

 1.75. Their nests are generally lin- 

 ed with grasses and occasionally 

 with feathers. The female sits 

 very close when incubating and will 

 not fly until almost trod upon, 

 trusting to her variegated mark- 

 ings to conceal her from observa- 

 tion. Greenish buff 



310c. Rio GRANDE TURKEY. Meleagris gallopavo intermedia. 



Range. Lowlands of the southern parts of Texas and northern Mexico. A 

 sub-species which differs slightly in plumage and not at all in nesting habits or 

 eggs from the common Wild Turkey. 



CURASSOWS AND GUANS. Family CRACID^E 



311. CHACHALACA. Ortalis vetula mccalli. 



Range. Eastern portions of Mexico, north 

 to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. 

 A very peculiar grayish colored bird with a 



Chachalaca 



Buffy white ^ 



greenish gloss to the back, and a long, broad 

 tail, quite long legs, and with the face and 

 sides of the throat devoid of feathers. They 

 are very abundant birds in some localities, and very noisy during the breeding 

 season, their notes resembling a harsh trumpeting repetition of their name. 

 They are ground inhabiting birds, but nest in low bushes. Their nests are 

 made of sticks, twigs, leaves, or moss and are generally frail, flat structures 

 only a few feet above the ground. During April, they lay from three to five 

 buffy white eggs, the shell of which is very rough and hard. Size 2.25 x 1.55. 



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