THE WILD TURKEY. 119 



outline arched, the sides convex, the edges overlapping, the tip 

 a little declinate ; under mandible somewhat bulging towards 

 the tip, the sides convex. Nostrils situated in the basal mem- 

 brane, oblique, linear, covered by a cartilage. 



Head small, flattened above, with a conical pendulous, erec- 

 tile caruncle on the forehead. Neck slender. Body robust. 

 Feet l,ongish and strong; tarsus covered anteriorly with numer- 

 ous transverse scutella, scaly on the sides, sciitellate behind'; 

 toes scutellate above, scabrous, papillar, and flat beneath ; hind 

 toe elevated, half the length of the lateral toes, which are nearly 

 equal, and much shorter than the middle toe; claws slighl^y 

 arched, strong, convex above, obtuse, flat beneath. A conical, 

 rather obtuse spur on the tarsus, about two-thirds down. Coni- 

 cal papilla of the forehead rugose, sparsely covered with bristles. 

 Head bare, and corrugated, the skin irregularly raised, and 

 covered with a few scattered bristles. 



External ear margined with short and slender thin feathers. 

 Neck also bare, corrugated, beset anteriorly and below with a 

 series of oblong, irregular, cavernous caruncles, interspersed 

 with small, bristly feathers. 



Plumage in general compact, glossy, with metallic reflection. 

 Feathers double, as in other gallinaceous Birds, generally ob- 

 long and truncated. A pendulous tuft of long bristles from the 

 upper part of the breast. Wings shortish, convex, rounded, 

 consisting of eighteen broad, rounded feathers, capable of being 

 erected and expanded in a permanent manner, when the Bird 

 is excited, and reaching nearly to the ground, -when the Bird 

 stands erect. 



Bill, yellowish-browm. Frontal caruncle blue and red. Ku- 

 gose and carunculated skin of the head and neck of various 

 tints of blue and purple, the pendulous anterior caruncles of 

 the latter, or the ivattles, bright red, changing to blue. Iris 

 hazel, legs and toes bright purplish-red ; claws brown. Upper 

 part of the back and wings brownish-yellow, with metallic 

 lustre, changing to deep purple, the truncated tips of the fea- 

 thers broadly margined with velvet black. On the middle and 

 lower back, the black terminal bands of the feathers almost 

 conceal the bronze color. The large quill coverts are of the 



