THE TURKEY HISTORIC 63 



"The same author has rendered it very prob- 

 able that this latter species was domesticated 

 by some of the Indian tribes living within the 

 present limits of the United States, before these 

 tribes had been visited by the Europeans. It 

 is certain, however, that the turkey was not do- 

 mesticated by the generality of the tribes, within 

 the limits just mentioned, until after the Euro- 

 peans had taken possession of the countries of 

 North America." 1 



Nine or ten years after Barton wrote, De Witt 

 Clinton, who was a candidate for President of 

 the United States in 1812, and a son of James 

 Clinton, was one of the writers of that time on 

 the wild turkey. He pointed out how birds, 

 the turkey included, change their plumage after 

 domestication, and, after giving what he knew 

 of the introduction of the turkey into Spain from 

 America and the West Indies, he adds: "From 

 the Spanish turkey, which was thus spread over 



x Barton, P. S. The Philadelphia Medical and Physical Journal, Vol. 

 II, 1806, pp. 162-164. Coues, in his Ornitho. Biblio., cited above, omits 

 the words, "The Philadelphia," which gives trouble to find the work in a 

 library; he also has the year wrong, giving 1805 for 1806 — the latter 

 being correct. The copy I consulted had no PI. 1, with the article, 

 that I happened to see. 



