84 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



tory to pronounce them specifically different 

 from their wild ancestors here. Results will be 

 watched with interest. 



"My experiments in crossing the wild with the 

 tame have been eminently successful." (Fol- 

 lowed by a long account, p. 329.) 



"My experiments establish first that the tur- 

 key may be domesticated, and that each suc- 

 ceeding generation bred in domestication loses 

 something of the wild disposition of its ancestors. 



"Second, that the wild turkey bred in do- 

 mestication changes its form and the color of its 

 plumage and of its legs, each succeeding genera- 

 tion degenerating more and more from these 

 brilliant colors which are so constant on the wild 

 turkey of the forest, so that it is simply a question 

 of time — and indeed a very short time — when 

 they will lose all of their native wildness and be- 

 come clothed in all the varied colors of the com- 

 mon domestic turkey; in fact be like our domestic 

 turkey, — yes, be our domestic turkey. 



"Third, that the wild turkey and the domestic 

 turkey as freely interbred as either does with its 

 own variety, showing not the least sexual aver- 



