278 



The Fowl-like Birds 



the form (Meleagris gallopavo), occurring in the moist, semitropical parts of 

 the state of Vera Cruz, Mexico. On the western slope of the Mexican table- 

 land is a form known as the Mexican Turkey (M. g. mexicana], of which 

 very little has been recorded. In the Rio Grande Turkey (M. g. intermedia), 

 which ranges over the lowlands of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, 

 the tips of the tail-coverts and the tail are rusty buff, while in Merriam's 

 Turkey (M. g. merriami) of the southwestern United States and northwestern 

 Mexico, these feathers are tipped with whitish. The best-known form is the 

 Common Wild Turkey (M. g. sUvestris), w r hich ranges throughout the eastern 

 United States, from Pennsylvania to central Florida, and west to Nebraska 

 and northeastern Texas, in which the tips of the tail-coverts and tail-feathers 

 are rusty brown or chestnut, this being replaced in southern Florida by the 

 Florida Wild Turkey (M . g. osceola), which differs from the last in being of 

 somewhat smaller size and in having the primaries with narrow broken, in- 

 stead of broad and entire, bars of white, and in the longer, more curved, and 

 much sharper spurs. 



The only other member of the group, and this by far the handsomest, is the 

 Ocellated Turkey (Agriocharis ocellatd) of Yucatan and adjacent parts of 

 Guatemala and British Honduras. In this the bare head and neck are deep blue, 

 covered with bright orange or orange-red warts, and the erectile wattle between 

 the eyes is also deep blue tipped with yellow. The feathers of the lower back 

 and rump are rich steel-blue, those of the lower parts bronzy black, all tipped 

 with intensely rich metallic golden and coppery bronze, and the tail and its 

 coverts light gray mottled with black, followed by a broad spot of deep blue 

 margined on both sides with black, then a line of yellow, and finally they are 

 tipped with deep reddish, all the bright colors being metallic. 



The habits of the Ocellated Turkey are similar to those of the other Turkeys 

 except that it is if possible even more wary. Mr. Frank M. Chapman, who has 



recently studied it in Yuca- 

 tan, found it still tolerably 

 abundant in many localities, 

 but states that it is perhaps 

 the shyest bkd he has at- 

 tempted to secure. Its flesh 

 is highly esteemed by the 

 native Indians, who have 

 hunted it from time imme- 

 morial with the result that 

 it has acquired a great de- 

 gree of caution. It fre- 

 quents the borders of 

 clearings and corn-fields 

 and, according to Gaumer, 

 the male during the breed- 



FIG. 92. Turkey Guinea-Fowl, Agelastes meleagrides. ing season, which is in May 



