CHAPTER IIL 



THE BREEDS OF TURKEYS. 



There is less variation in the ordinary domestic turkey 

 than among common fowls, not so many being kept, and 

 more care being taken to keep them pure. The follow- 

 ing classification maybe considered as correct and is ac- 

 cepted by breeders: 



The Wild 



The Domesticated 



Mexican 



Honduras 



North American 



American Mammoth Bronze 



White Holland 



Narragansett 



Black 



Buff 



Slate or Lavender 



The Mexican is generally considered to be the progenitor 

 of the common domesticated turkey, as is fully set forth. 



The Honduras or Ocellated turkey, found in Central 

 America, appears to have baffled all attempts to domesti- 

 cate and rear it outside the tropics. It is said to possess 

 a plumage equal in brilliancy to that of the peacock, and 

 also to have the feathers of its tail "ocellated," or eyed. 



The North American Wild turkey resembles the Mexican 

 in color, but rivals it in size. It is a somewhat longer bird 

 than the domesticated variety, and differs from it in an 

 Absence of pure white in any of its feathers, the pencil- 

 ings of its wings and the dull white or gray of its tail be- 

 ing of a chestnut color. Our second chapter treats in 

 detail of this superb progenitor of the useful domestic tur- 

 key. Audubon's fine painting is still the best portrai- 

 ture of this noble bird, and from it our frontispiece is pro- 

 duced. The Wild turkey is still of the most importance to 

 breeders, because fresh infusion of pure, wild blood into 



15 



