100 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



9. At the occipital region of the skull, the 

 osseous structures are denser and thicker in the 

 tame varieties of turkeys; and, as a whole, the 

 skull is smoother, with its salient apophyses less 

 pronounced in them than in the wild types. 

 There is a certain delicacy and lightness, very 

 difficult to describe, that stamps the skull of a 

 wild turkey, and at once distinguishes it from any 

 typical skull of a tame one. 



10. I have predicted that the average size of 

 the brain cavity will be found to be smaller and 

 of less capacity in a tame turkey than it is in the 

 wild one. In the case of this class of domesti- 

 cated birds, as pointed out above, this would 

 seem to be no more than natural, for the do- 

 mestication of the turkey has not been of such a 

 nature as to develop its brain mass through the 

 influences of a species of education; its long con- 

 tact with man has taught it nothing — quite 

 the contrary, for the bird has been almost en- 

 tirely relieved from the responsibilities of using 

 its wits to obtain its food, or to guard against 

 danger to itself. These factors are still in op- 

 eration in the case of the wild types, and the 



