

w 





I 



'ii 



176 



G/IA/E BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



as the conditions become again favorable. The appear- 

 ance of the Wild Turkey is magnificent as he walks in 

 stately dignity in his native wilds, the sun glancing from 

 his burnished plumage in flashes of emerald and gold, 

 and his erect, graceful, and easy carriage, with head well 

 up, alert to every sound or movement, exhibits him, as 

 he really is, the finest and noblest game bird in the world. 



MELEAGRIS SYLVESTRIS. 



Geographical Distribution. — From Pennsylvania, where a few 

 possibly survive, to the Gulf States, except Florida, and west- 

 ward to Wisconsin in the north, and to Texas in the south, in 

 wooded districts. 



Adult Male. — General plumage, brilliant metallic, gold, green, 

 bronze, and red reflections, each feather tipped with a band of 

 velvety black; secondaries, bronzy green, barred with whitish; 

 primaries, black, barred with white, the bars reaching the shafts; 

 rump, black, feathers glossed with dark metallic purple ; upper 

 tail-coverts, dark chestnut, with metallic red reflections, and 

 barred with black; tail feathers, chestnut barred and vermicu- 

 lated with black, a subapical broad black band and deep buff 

 tips; head and neck, naked, led; a long bunch of coarse, stiff 

 black bristles is suspended from center of breast; legs, red, 

 spurred; bill, red. Total length, about four feet; wing, 21 

 inches; tail, 19; weight, from twelve to nearly forty pounds. 



Adult Female. — Smaller and with much duller colors, very 

 little of the brilliant metallic hues seen in the male, and without 

 the pendent bunch of bristles. 





