THE WILD TURKEY. 15 
It is, in fact, unusually intelligent, and as pugnacious as 
it is conceited. Its form is acombination of strength and 
gracefulness; and even the peculiar appendages on its 
head and breast are pleasant to look at when they are 
properly displayed. 
The bill is short and robust, and about two inches 
and a half in length; the superior mandible is vauited, 
overhangs the inferior, and is covered at the base by a 
naked cere-like membrane, in which the nostrils are situ- 
ated. The aperture of the ear is defended by a fascicle of 
small feathers; the irides are dark-brown; the head and 
half the neck are covered with a naked bluish skin, on 
which are a number of purplish-red excrescences. A 
fleshy, extensible caruncle, which is hairy and pencillated 
at the tip, arises at the conjunction of the bill and fore- 
head. When the bird is quiescent, this is not more than 
an inch and a half in length; but when excited by love 
or rage, it becomes so elongated as to fall two or three 
inches below the bill. 
The neck, which is of moderate thickness, has a 
pendent fascicle of black, rigid hairs, which vary from 
nine to twelve inches in length, on its inferior portion. 
The tarsus, which is red, is about six inches long, and 
the feet are very robust. The general hue of the plu- 
mage is glossy coppery-bronze, merging into green and 
purple in some lights, This gives the bird a most brilliant 
appearance, especially in the spring, when all the feathers 
are in their best condition. 
The males commence wooing as early as February in 
some of the extreme Southern States, but March is the 
opening of the love season throughout the country, and 
April the month in which it reaches its highest develop- 
ment, The males may then be heard calling to the 
females from every direction, until the woods ring with 
their loud and liquid cries, which are commenced long 
ere the sun appears above the horizon, and continued for 
