126 UPLAND GAME BIRDS 



the Virginias, Pennsylvania and a few more of the southern 

 states. It is doubtful if even one flock exists in the North any- 

 where west of Pennsylvania. In Oklahoma and Texas it 

 still lives, but the gunners of the cattle-ranches are fast killing 

 ofi^ the few very small flocks that remain. 



The Wild Turkey is the king of upland game birds. It 

 has been given to but a few hunters to seek this bird in its 

 native forests, witness its splendid flight, and afterward 

 shoulder a giant gobbler weighing from twenty-five to thirty 

 pounds for a ten-mile carry. He who has done this, however, 

 will thereafter rank this bird as second to none on earth. In 

 the United States only one species exists, but three geographic 

 races have been described. The wild bird so closely resembles 

 the domestic turkey that almost the only difi'erence observ- 

 able is the white upper tail coverts of the tame bird. 



The Ocellated Turkey,^ of Yucatan, British Honduras 

 and Guatemala is a bird of more brilliant plumage but smaller 

 size than our northern species. Its name refers to the beau- 

 tiful eye-spots of blue, green and purple which adorn the tail 

 feathers. The prevailing color of the body plumage is a rich 

 metallic green, exhibiting the brilliant iridescence and bur- 

 nished-bronze efi^ects so strongly displayed in most turkeys in 

 full plumage. On account of its great beauty, several at- 

 tempts have been made to establish this species in zoological 

 gardens, and at last (1914) it has been successfully established 

 in the New York Zoological Park. The species is very diffi- 

 cult to keep alive in captivity. 



' Me-le-a'gris oc-el-la'ta. 



