THE TURKEY HISTORIC 47 



of them as Peacocks; for being a new bird to 

 him, he adopts that name from the resemblance 

 he thought they bore to the former. 'But,' 

 says he, 'the neck is bare of feathers, but cov- 

 ered with a skin which they change after their 

 phantasie into diverse colours . They have a horn 

 (in the Spanish Pegon corto) as it were on their 

 front, and hairs on the breast.' (In Purchas, 

 III, 995.) He describes other birds which he 

 also calls Peacocks. They are of the galli- 

 naceous genus, and known by the name of Curas- 

 sao birds, the male of which is black, the female 

 ferruginous." 1 



Pennant, Thos. Esqr. F. R. S. "An Account of the Turkey." 

 Phil. Trans, of the Royal Society of London. Vol. LXXI for the year 

 1781. London [Art.] No. 1. Communicated by Joseph Banks, Esqr., 

 P. R. S. Read December 21, 1781, pp. 77, 78. 



Pennant's contribution fills a large place in the literature of the wild 

 turkey, and further on I shall take occasion to quote still more extensively 

 from it. It starts in by giving in brief the characters of the turkey, and 

 in describing the wild turkey he cites the previous works of Josselyn 

 (Voyage); Clayton (Virginia); Catesby, Belon, Gesner, Aldrovandus, 

 Ray, Buffon, and others. He gives a "Description" of the bird, espe- 

 cially the " Tail," and adds that a " White Turkey" — "A most beautiful 

 kind has of late been introduced into England of a snowy whiteness, finely 

 contrasting with its red head. These I think came from Holland, prob- 

 ably bred from an accidental white pair; and from them preserved pure 

 from any dark or variegated birds." (p. 68.) 



He presents variation in "Size," quoting Josselyn (New-Eng. Rari- 

 ties); Lawson (History of Carolina); and Clayton (Phil. Trans.). Also 

 their "Manners"; their being "Gregarious"; "Their Haunts," "Place," 

 and much else, having more to do with their habits than their history, 

 and consequently not legitimately to be touched upon in this chapter. 



