TURKEYS. 



435 



Turkeys. 



GROUP OF GUINEA-FOWL. 



are washed with purple, and the breast and under-parts are cobalt-blue, but black 

 down the middle. The tail-feathers resemble the upper-parts in their markings, 

 but the middle pair are much elongated and pointed. The male is similar to 

 the female, but larger, and with four or five wart-like knobs on each leg. 



The last group of the family is a somewhat aberrant one, com- 

 prising the turkeys, all of which are natives of North and Central 



America, where three distinct 

 species and two local races are 

 known. The common turkey 

 (Meleagris gallopavo) comes 

 from the table - lands of 

 Northern Mexico and the 

 neighbouring States, and is 

 recognised by the broad white 

 tips to the upper tail-coverts 

 and tail ; while in the species 

 (M. americana) of the Eastern 

 States these parts are dark 

 chestnut. The handsomest 

 member of the group is, however, 

 theocellated turkey (M. ocellata) 

 of Guatemala, Yucatan, and 

 British Honduras, each of the 

 tail-feathers being ornamented 

 with a greenish blue eye-spot 

 shot with purple, while the 

 metallic parts of the body- 

 feathers are golden or bronze- 

 COMMON TURKEY. green, and the naked head and 



