CHAPTER VIII. 

 THE TUEKEY, AND ITS VARIETIES. 



r. VARIETIES OF THE DOMESTIC TURKEY. II. THE BRONZED-BLACK TURKEY. 



III. THE COMMON TURKEY. IV. THE OCELLATED TURKEY. V. ENGLISH 



TURKEYS. VI. RARE VARIETIES. VII. THE CARE OF TURKEYS. 



I. Varieties of the Domestic Turkey. 



Notwithstanding the length of time that the wild turkey has been do- 

 mesticated — over 300 years — it still retains some of its wild habits, even 

 under the most artificial conditions. This is undoubtedly due to the fac. 

 that the turkey endures close confinement to a less extent than any of the 

 domestic land birds, and hence these traits of wildness, Avandering and 

 the hiding of nests and youngs have not been entirely bred out. The 

 same is true of the pheasants, still less domesticated, although they have 

 been in more or less subjection to man since ancient times. 



All turkeys, whether of the wild or domestic varieties, breed freely, 

 one with the other, and continue fertile, thus proving conclusively that 

 they came originally from one species. They are now broken up into 

 every color, black-bronzed and white-mottled being the original wild 

 color. Among the sub-species, are : The Common turkey ; Black-and- 

 white-mottled ; Black-bronzed ; the Mexican ; the Ocellated or Hondu- 

 ras ; the White ; the Buff ; the Fawn-colored ; the Copper-colored, and 

 the Paili-colored . Temminck, in 1813 described Isabelle yellow turkeys, 

 with fine full crests of pure white. Lieutenant Byam described crested 

 wild turkeys as seen by him in Mexico ; it is probable that this observer 

 mistook curassows for turkeys, since this bird is domesticated there 

 and nobody else has found crested turkeys in Mexico. 



II. The Bronzed-Black Turkey. 



This variety is said to have been produced by a cross of the Wild tur- 

 key upon the Common turkey hen, the produce fixed and improved by 

 careful selection and breeding. They are the largest, as they are un- 

 doubtedly the best, of the domestic varieties. The average for mature 

 birds, well fattened, is about thirty pounds, while forty pounds is not 

 uncommon for extra male birds. The hens will weigh from twenty to 

 twenty-five pounds each, when mature. They are as hardy as they are 



beautiful in plumage. 



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