428 



BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



[Yol. V. 



The lighter and more typical form from that section I retain in my 

 collection, and I think that even lighter forms exist at Lomita than I 

 obtained. 



I have very recently compared all of my specimens with those in the 

 lifational Museum, and together they form a regular graded series from 

 the type gcdloimvo^ which has the tips of tail and tail-coverts tawny- 

 white, to the Eastern United States type, which has tips as dark as the 

 feathers above the subterminal band. I have also compared my speci- 

 mens with skins from Missouri, Michigan, Virginia, and Florida. From 

 a careful comparison of them all, I observe no geographical variations 

 that will hold good excei)ting the coloring of the tips of the tail and the 

 upper tail-coverts. The dark forms extend in the Southwest through 

 Missouri, and, I think, Indian Territory and Northern Texas; the inter- 

 mediate are found along the coast and back to the foot-hills from Corpus 

 Christi in Texas to Vera Cruz in Mexico ; while the lightest forms are 

 found on the high tablelands of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and 

 throughout Mexico. Professor Baird says: "The true wild bird of 

 Eastern North America always has the tips of the tail-feathers and 

 upper tail-coverts of a chestnut-brown color ; the Mexican species and 

 its descendant of the barn-yard never exhibits this feature." He also 

 draws the line between the wild bird of the Eastern United States and 

 the tame Turkey by throwing all the light or tawny-colored ones into the 

 barn-yard. The same rule applies to the Mexican Turkey. All Lower 

 Eio Grande specimens, therefore, must be held as gaUo2)avo, or a var. 

 intermedia established — an alternative not to be desired. 



This bird scratches together a few leaves for a nest in the dense woods. 

 We fortunately secured two full sets of eggs, one of twelve and the other 

 of fifteen, and a third nest with but a single egg remaining among the 

 debris of shells and feathers, which plainly told the story of the ravages 

 of the Mexican coyote. The first set was taken on April 24, and con- 

 tained chicks peeping in the shell. The set of fifteen obtained April 26 

 were fresh. The one egg of the despoiled nest was still later and nearly 

 fresh. The eggs have a cream ground-color. On the set of twelve the 

 markings are numerous, and consist of light-brown specks covering the 

 whole surface, to which are added larger spots of darker brown at inter- 

 vals. On the set of fifteen, one of which is of abnormal size, the mark- 

 ings are fainter, giving a decided light color to the eggs. The single 

 egg of third set is still lighter and has but few markings. The average 

 size of the twenty-eight eggs is 2.43 by 1.86; the largest 2.50 by 1.90; 

 the smallest 2.33 by 1.72; abnormal egg 1.80 by l.oO. 



Lomita 

 ....do . 

 ....do . 



April 13 

 May 14 

 May 17 



44.00 

 30.00 

 44.00 



62.50 

 54.00 

 63.00 



18.50 

 17. 00 

 19.25 



14.00 

 13.00 

 15.00 



