CHAPTER XVII. 



Turkeys. 



Naturalists at present recognize but two species of wild turkeys — ^the Mdeagrit 

 gaUopavo, and the M. oceUato. Of these the first embraces two varieties, the 

 typical M, gaUopavo, which is the wild turkey of the South-western United 

 States and Mexico, and the M. syleestris of Canada and the Northern United 

 States. These varieties were formerly classed as different species, nnder the 

 names of M. Mesdcama and M Americana, but as they differ but little, except in 

 color of plumage, they have latterly been regarded as but one species. 

 M. oceUato is the rare and beautiful Ocellated Turkey of Central America. 

 In former geological epochs, at least three other species of Meleagris have ex- 

 isted withtn the limits of the present United States ; the remains of two species, 

 M. Alius or superlms, and M. cder, having been found in the Post Pliocene of 

 New Jersey, and of another, M. anUquMS, in the Miocene beds of Colorado.* 



Anatomically the turkey is closely related to the Guinea fowl : Hence, the 

 generic name, Meleagris, th.e ancient name of that fowl; while the specific 

 name, gaUopavo, is compounded of the names of the barn-door fowl, Gallus, and 

 of the peacock, Pavo. 



Ornithologists now generally believe that the wild turkey of Mexico was the di- 

 rect parent stock of the domesticated turkey, basing this belief upon the facts that 

 this variety shows more tendency toward the variation in the color of the plum- 

 age which eharacterizes the domestic fowl, as its wing coverts and tail feathers 

 contain some white. Another argument in favor of this theory is that the species 

 or variety existing in the vicinity of the comparatively civilized Mexicans would 

 probably have been brought into domestication long before that whose habitat 

 was among the roving Indians to the northward. That the turkey had been 

 domesticated by the Mexicans is shown by the fact that it was introduced into 

 Europe from Mexico or the West Indies by the Spaniards, early in the sixteenth 

 century 



The following interesting historical notes were written by Prof. E. L. Sturte- 

 vant for the Natiional lAve Stock Journal: 



" Mexico was discovered by Grigalva, in 1618. Cortez, in 1619, on the march to 

 CempoaUa, saw the wUd turkey, which is described as a species of peacock 

 (Diaz). Peter Martyr jefers 'to the turkey,- whose "females sometimes lay 

 twenty or thirty eggs;" and Clavigero and Oviedo also notice this bird. At 

 Cibola, New Mexico, in 1540, Coronado found " certain guinie cocks, but few," 

 and kept by the natives for their feathers ; but he fou nd them " excellent good, 



*PtOf. Theodore Gill. In .Tohnsmi'a rimTntwxHi. ' 



