North American Birds Eggs. 



147 



3 I Ob. Florida Wild Turkey. Md- 



ccKjris ijdllopfiri) itHceiild. 



Range.— Southern Florida. 



A small variety ot the Wild Turk- 

 ey about 42 inches long. They 

 breed in the tangled thickets in the 

 higher portions oi the southern 

 half of Florida, laying from ten to 

 sixteen eggs of a brighter and 

 deeper buff color than the northern 

 variety, and smaller; size 2.80x1.75. 

 Their nests are generally lined with 

 grasses and occasionally with feath- 

 ers. The female sits very close 

 when incubating and will' not tly 

 until almost trod upon, trusting to 

 her variegated markings to conceal 

 her from observation. 



[Greeiiish huff. 



3 I Oc. Rio Grande Turl<ey. MrlrafjriK gfiUripririi iiifci-mediii. 



Range. — Lowlands of the southern parts of Texas and northern Mexico. A 

 sub-species which differs slightly in plumage and not at all in nesting habits or 

 eggs from the common Wild Turkey. 



CURASSOWS AND GUANS. Family CRACID/E. 

 311. Chachalaca. Ortalh vctula iiiarmlH. 



Range.- Eastern prjrtions of Mexico, 



north to the Lower Rio Grande Valley 



in Texas. 



\ A very peculiar grayish colored bird 



'\ with a greenish gloss to the back, and 



a long, broad tail, quite long legs, 



and with the face and sides of the 



throat devoitl of feathers. They are 



very abundant birds in some localities, 



and very noisy during the breeding 



season, their notes resembling a harsh 



trumpeting repetition of their name. 



They are ground inhabiting birds but 



nest in low bushes. Their nests are 



made of sticks, twigs, leaves, or moss 



and are generally frail, fiat structures 



only a few feet aVjove the ground. During April, they lay from three to five 



bui^j' white eggs, the shell of which is very rough and hard. Size 2.25 x 1.55. 



Euffy white. 



PIGEONS AND DOVES. Order XI. COLUMB/E. 



Family COLUMBID/E. 



Pigeons and Doves are distributed throughout nearly every temperate and 

 tropical country on the globe, nearly five hundred species being know'n, of 

 whicli twelve occur within our limits. Their plumage is generally of soft and 

 subdued colors, the head small, the wings strong and the flight rapid. 



