GALLINACE.E. 141 



MELEAGRIS, Linnceus*. 



The Turkeys have their head and upper part of the neck invested with a 

 plumeless and papillated skin ; an appendage under the throat, and another 

 conical one on the forehead, which, in the male, when excited by passion, 

 becomes so inflated and long as to hang over the point of the beak. From 

 the lower part of the neck of the adult male hangs a tuft or tassel of stiff hairs; 

 the coverts of the tail, shorter and stifFer than in the peacock, can be erected 

 and displayed in the same way. The tarsi of the male are armed with weak 

 spurs. But one species was known for a long time. 



Meleagris gallo-pavo, Lin. (The Common Turkey.) Introduced into 

 Europe from America in the sixteenth century. The size of this noble bird, 

 and the goodness of its flesh, have rendered it extremely common. The wild 

 turkey of America is of a greenish brown, with a copper gloss. A second 

 species, however, ( M. ocellata, Cuv.) has lately been described, almost equal to 

 the peacock in the brilliancy of its colours, and particularly in the sapphire- 

 coloured spots, surrounded with circles of gold and ruby, which decorate the 

 tail. It was captured in the bay of Honduras. 



NUMIDA, LinncBus. 



The Guinea-fowls, or Pintados, have a naked head, fleshy wattles at the 

 bottom of the cheeks, a short tail, and the cranium generally surmounted with 

 a callous crest. 



N. meleagris, Lin. (The Common Guinea-Hen.) Originally from Africa, 

 has a slate-coloured plumage, every where sprinkled with small, white, round 

 spots. In a wild state they live in large flocks, and prefer the vicinity of 

 marshes. There are two species. The great genus 



PHASIANUS, Linnaeus, 



Or that of the Pheasants, is characterised by the cheeks being partly desti- 

 tute of feathers, and covered with a red skin, and by the tectiform tail, in 

 which the feathers are variously disposed. 



This great genus is now divided into various subgenera, such as Gallus 

 (our common cock and hen) of which several wild species are known, 

 pheasants properly so called (common pheasant of Europe, gold and silver 

 pheasants of China, &c.), tragopan, &c. 



TETRAD, Linnaeus. 



This also is a great genus, characterised by a naked and most generally red 

 band, which occupies the place of the eye-brow. It is divided into subgenera 

 as follows : 



* MELEAGRIS is the Greek name of the guineu-hen, erroneously applied by Linnanus 

 to the turkey. 



