THE HONDURAS TURKEY. 621 



" About tlie beginning of October, when scarcely any of the seeds and fruits have 

 fallen from the trees, these birds assemble in flocks, and gradually move towards the rich 

 bottom-lands of the Ohio and Mississippi. The males, or as they are more commonly 

 called the gobblers, associate in parties from ten to a hundred, and search for food apart 

 from the females, while the latter are seen either advancing singly, each with its brood of 

 young, then about two-thirds grown, or in union with other families, forming parties often 

 amounting to seventy or eighty individuals, all intent on shunning the old cocks, who, 

 when the young birds have attained this size, will fight with and often destroy them by 

 repeated blows on the head. Old and young, however, all move in the same course, and 

 on foot, unless their progress be intercepted by a river, or the hunter's dog force them to 

 take wing. 



When they come upon a river, they betake themselves to the highest eminences, and 

 there often remain a whole day, and sometimes two, as if for the purpose of consultation. 

 During this time the males are heard gobbling, calling, and making much ado, and are 

 seen strutting about as if to raise their courage to a pitch befitting the emergency. 

 Even the females and young assume something Of the same pompous demeanour, spread 

 out their tails, and run round each other, purring loudly and performing extravagant 

 leaps. 



At length when the weather appears settled, and all around is quiet, the whole party 

 mount to the tops of the highest trees, whence at a signal, consisting of a single cluck 

 given by a leader, the flock takes flight for the opposite shore. The old and fat birds get 

 easily over, even should the river be a mile in breadth, but the younger and less robust 

 frequently fall into the water, not to be drowned, however, as might be imagined ; they 

 bring their wings close to their body, spread out their tail as a support, and striking out 

 their legs with great vigour, proceed rapidly towards the shore ; on approaching which, 

 should they find it too steep for landing, they cease their exertions for a few moments, 

 float down the stream until they come to an accessible part, and by a violent effort 

 generally extricate themselves from the water. It is remarkable that immediately after 

 crossing a large stream, they ramble about for some time as if bewildered. In this state 

 they fall an easy prey to the hunter." 



The colouring of the wild male Turkey is briefly as follows. The small head and half 

 of the neck are covered with a warty, naked, bluish skin, hanging in wattles from the base 

 of the bill and forming a long fleshy protuberance, hanging from the base of the bill and 

 having a tuft of hairs at its tip. This excrescence is capable of elongation under excite- 

 ment. There is also a long tuft of strong black hairs hanging from the junction of the 

 neck and breast. The general colour of the plumage is very beautiful, gleaming with 

 golden bronze, banded with black and " shot " with violet, green, and blue. In total 

 length this bird measures about four feet. 



THE splendid HONDUKAS TUEKEY is even a more magnificent bird than the preceding 

 species. It is found, as its name imports, in the wooded districts of Honduras and 

 Yucatan. 



Two specimens of this splendid bird, a male and female, were brought to the Zoological 

 Gardens ; and I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. T. W. Wood, the artist of the 

 accompanying illustration, for the following short account of its habits in a state of 

 captivity, I being at the time unable through ill health to visit the gardens. " In the 

 spring, the male became highly excited, and stalked about with his tail spread, wings 

 drooping, and all his feathers puffed up, looking as if he would burst with pride. At such 

 a time his head was thrown back so far and his breast-feathers projecting so far that he 

 could not observe the ground beneath him, and consequently he often stepped into the 

 water, much to his annoyance and the visitor's amusement." 



The colouring of this bird is peculiarly fine. The naked skin of the head and neck 

 is delicate violet-blue, covered with a number of round pea-like knobs, arranged in a 

 cluster upon the crown and of a pale buff-orange, a row over the eye, and others 

 scattered about the neck without any particular arrangement. The wattle hanging from 

 the base of the neck is light orange at its tip. The skin round the eyes and the knobs on 



