MELEAGRIS GALLOP AVO. 346 



FAMILY I. MKLKAGRIDTD/E. THE TURKKVS. 



Head and neck, destitute of feathers. Tj> of keel, not etji/ulinij in h'iKjth tin' </<>/>thof 

 the. inner nianjimil i/tde/ifitliunx, anil the tip is nut produced forward. Terminal i'.r/nit/sinti, 

 offi/rci/l<i, not wide, and </]>jir(,ji>it<ili/iy very chisel y to the sternum. Upper process of ma- 

 ni/lirium, not produced forward, 



The costal process ol'the sternum is narrow and truncated, and the bone of the ex- 

 treme outer edge, beyond the outer marginal indentation, is widened and produced forward. 

 There is also a large perforation through the mamibrium and the sternum in front of the 

 keel is furrowed, while the depression is provided with a central ridge. 



GENUS I. MEI.EACIMS. THE TURKEYS. 



Gi:x. On. Forehead, proriilul tcil/i ajlfsliy cunt ir/iirh is extensible. Tarsus, spurred. Tail, rather long and rounded. 

 Breast of males, usually proritletl irith a inn;/ /ufl ofMltl/et. 



TliI" genus contains hut few sjiocies, :mj all of them are of a large size, with well marked characters, as given above. 

 There is but one species within our limits. 



MELEAGRIS GALLOP AVO. 



Wild Turkey. 

 Meleagris galloparo Li.v.v, Sy>t. Nat., I; 1766, 268. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Sternum, stout. Head and neck, destitute of feathers but sprinkled with fine 

 bristles. Feathers, lirn:id at tip and abruptly truncated. 



COI.OK. Ailu/l tn/i/i'. I'.idy throughout, black, each feather is crossed with a subtenninnl, iride-cent band of bluish 

 which lias grivnisii and bronze reflect ion-*. Itump and upper tail coverts, banded with deep chestnut. Wings, very dark- 

 brown, finely bonded with yellowish-white. The tail is deep cliiNtnut tipped with lighter, there is a broad, suhterminal 

 if dark-brown and the remainder of the feathers are finely mottled and banded with chestnut, while the flanks and 

 umlr, ;ire tipped with the same eolnr. AUdonieii and tibia, yellowish-brown with the feathers tipped with 



lighter. Head and neck, blue an d red. Feet, red. Bill, red, yellow t tip. Iris, brown. 



Arlvltfunale. Quite similar to the male, but differs in being somewhat smaller, and less brilliant in color. The spurs 

 on tl-e legs and bristles on the breast are usually a'.iscnt. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Tliis speeies may be at once recognized by its resemblance to the well-known domestic Turkey, from which the wild 

 'lowever, in b.-ing more brilliant in eol'ir. Distributed, as a constant resident, in favorable localities, through- 

 out Eastern United States. 1'robably extinct in New England. 



DIMENSIONS, 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern United States. Length, 42'00; stretch, 62'50; wing, 19'50; tail, 

 Mil, 1'1'J; tarsus, fl'50. Longest >peeimen, 50'OC; greati-st extent of wini;, (iH-(H); Iongc>st win^, -'I'OO; tail, 17 50; 

 bill, 1-25; tarsus, 7'00. Shortest specimen, 34'00; smallest extent of wing, 57'0<); shortest wing, 18'00; tail, 15 50; bill, 

 1-00; tarsus, 6'00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



AV<M, placed on the ground. They are not very elaborate structures, being composed of leaves, weeds, or other con- 

 venient material. 



Eyys, from ten to twenty in nuinlxr, short oval in form, creamy or buff in color, spotted and dotted, usually quite 

 thickly, with reddish-brown. Dimensions from T85x2'45 to 2'00x2'50. 



HABITS. 



The Wild Turkey which has received as much, if not more, attention from writers, 

 than any other species of American birds, is rapidly becoming exterminated. There has 



44 



