No. 133.1 165 



says, " In the wild state, a white or even a speckled turkey is un- 

 known, and we venture to say that a plain black one has hardly 

 ever occurred." As now characterised and acknowledged, the 

 present genus of this unrivalled bird is exclusively American, and 

 by the discovery of a beautiful • species, closely allied to that of 

 the United States, it now consists of two species. The oculated 

 turkey [Meleagris oculata) inhabits Honduras, in South America, 

 and may be distinguished from the common or original species of 

 North America or of the United States, in its being of a smaller 

 size, possessing a more brilliant plumage, and principally by its 

 having oculated spots (something like eyes) on the tail. It was 

 first discovered by Cuvier, and has lately been figured in that 

 splendid periodical work, the '■'■ Planchts Colorieesy^^ of Temminck 

 and Langier. A beautiful specimen has been exhibited in the 

 Charleston Museum of South Carolina. 



Meleagris gaUopavo^ Lin. Common Turkey — "Body black 

 above the breast, and glossed with violet and gold ; head and 

 upper part of neck with a blue papillated and hairy skin ; feathers 

 of the tail brown, varied with black. The female has smaller 

 wattles, and is incapable of erecting the feathers of the tail, 3^ 

 feet long ; inhabits North America ; bill short and thick, base 

 covered with a naked skin ; head and upper part of the neck in- 

 vested with a naked tuberculated skin j a loose caruncle on the 

 upper part of the bill ; throat with a longitudinal, pendulous and 

 carunculated wattle, tarsi of the male, with an obtuse and weak 

 spur." Meleagris oculata of Honduras, as described by Cuvier, 

 " head and neck naked ; back, rump and breast, golden green, 

 banded with glossy violet ; primaries white, spotted with black ; 

 secondaries white ; tail feathers wedge-shaped, griseous, spotted 

 with black, the top green, shining with violet and gold ^ bill 

 horny, 3^ feet long." 



The color of most wild animals is considerably darker than 

 the same species in a tame or domestic state ; the former are more 

 exposed to the weather and sun, no protection except what the 

 trees of the forest sometimes give them. If the natural color of 

 the animal in a wild state is red or brown, it is generally of & 

 much deeper shade. Neat cattle, in former times, when found in 



