Order  V.  GALLIX.E. 
Family  III.  Piiasiaxid7F 
The  fourth  Subfamily, 
MELEAGRIN.E,  or  Turkeys, 
have  the  Tail  more  or  less  short  and  pendent.  The  head  and  neck  denuded  of  plumes,  or  only  covered 
with  scattered  hairs,  or  carunculated  ;  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible  sometimes  wattled. 
Meleagkis  Linn.* 
Bill  moderate,  strong  ;  the  sides  compressed,  and  the  culmen  arched  to  the  tip,  which  overlaps  that 
of  the  lower  mandible  ;  the  nostrils  lateral,  basal,  pierced  in  the  membrane  of  the  nasal  groove.  Wings 
short,  rounded,  with  the  first  four  quills  graduated,  and  the  fifth  and  sixth  the  longest.  Tail  moderate, 
broad,  and  rounded.  Tarsi  robust,  much  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  covered  in  front  with  broad 
divided  scales,  and  armed  with  a  short  obtuse  spur.  Toes  moderate,  the  anterior  ones  united  at  their 
base  by  a  membrane,  the  inner  toe  rather  shorter  than  the  outer,  the  hind  toe  moderate  and  elevated : 
the  claws  short  and  slightly  curved. 
The  wandering  habits  of  the  birds  that  compose  this  genus  occasion  them  to  be  found  in  the  forests,  open  tracts,  or 
prairies  of  various  parts  of  the  northern  continent  of  America.  The  males  live  in  small  societies  of  ten  to  a  hundred, 
and  seek  their  food  apart  from  the  females,  who  are  occupied  in  watching  and  feeding  their  young,  and  concealing  them 
from  the  attacks  of  the  males  ;  but  should  the  separate  parties  after  a  time  meet  on  some  ground  where  their  favourite 
food  is  very  abundant,  they  all  intermix  and  partake  of  the  repast.  Their  movements  from  place  to  place  in 
quest  of  food  are  entirely  performed  on  foot ;  even  when  suddenly  surprised  they  more  usually  trust  to  their  leo-s  than 
their  wings,  running  with  very  great  velocity.  Should  their  progress  be  impeded  by  rivers,  while  quietly  seeking  their 
food,  after  considerable  delay  they  ascend  to  the  tops  of  the  neighbouring  trees,  and,  at  the  cluck  of  the  leader,  they 
launch  into  the  air  for  the  opposite  shore.  They  then  scatter  themselves  over  the  newly  acquired  ground,  seeking  the 
various  kinds  of  food  which  serve  for  their  subsistence.  These  consist  of  maize,  all  sorts  of  berries,  buds,  fruits,  insects, 
tadpoles,  young  frogs,  and  lizards,  but  the  acorn  is  their  favourite  food.  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  dry  spot,  under 
the  side  of  a  log,  or  beneath  the  shelter  of  a  thicket ;  it  consists  of  a  slight  hollow  scratched  in  the  ground,  and  lined 
with  a  few  withered  leaves.  The  eggs  are  usually  from  fourteen  to  fifteen  in  number.  While  laying,  the  female 
always  approaches  the  nest  with  great  caution,  varying  her  course  at  almost  every  visit,  and  often  concealing  the  eggs 
entirely  by  covering  them  with  leaves.  As  soon  as  the  young  have  emerged  from  the  shell  and  have  begun  to  run 
about,  the  parent  by  her  cluck,  calls  them  around  hei*,  and  watches  with  redoubled  suspicion  the  approach  of  their 
enemies. 
1.  M.  gallopavo  Linn.  PI.  enl.  97.,  Pr.  Bonap.  Am.  Orn.  pi.  9. — 
Meleagris  sylvestris  Vieill. ;  Gallopavo  sylvestris  Catesby,  Gal.  des 
Ois.  t.  201.,  Audub.  B.  of  Amer.  pi.  1.  6. 
2.  M.  ocellata  Temm.  PI.  col.  112.  —  Meleagris  aurea  Vieill. 
*  Established  by  Linnaeus  in  1735  (Sijxtana  Naturae)  ;  while,  in  1752,  Moehring  gave  the  name  of  Cenchramus  to  this  genus. 
