614 U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 
mentioned, the tarsi have two series of scutellae before, instead of one ; the posterior and lateral 
surfaces reticulated. The tail is very short, and concealed by its coverts. 
The species of turkey have usually been considered as two, the North American wild bird, 
from which the domestic turkey was supposed to have descended, and the ocellated turkey, M. 
ocellata, of Honduras, and other portions of Central America. The latter is one of the most beautiful 
of known birds, with numerous small fleshy tubercles on the head, different from those of the 
domestic turkey. The feathers exhibit reflections of metallic bronze, gold, green, and blue, 
while the tail coverts and tail exhibit four series of large ocellated spots. The tail is said to 
have but fourteen feathers. 
The question has been recently agitated whether the supposed single species of common 
turkey, tame and wild, is not really divisible into two or even three, and in the following 
pages the reasons will be presented upon which an opinion of the kind may be based. In the 
mean time, the following diagnoses will serve to show the differences which really appear to 
exist in the series of wild turkeys of the type of the North American bird. 
Common characters. — Head livid blue, legs red, general color copper bronze, with copper and 
green reflections, each feather with a velvet black margin ; all the quills brown, closely barred 
with white. Tail feathers chestnut, narrowly barred with black ; the tip with a very broad, 
subterminal black bar. 
Tail coverts dark purplish chestnut throughout, with the tips not lighter. Tip of tail 
feathers scarcely paler chestnut -than the ground color M. gallopavo. 
Tail coverts chestnut, the tips much paler, sometimes almost white. Tip of tail feathers 
light brownish yellow ; sometimes with the coverts broadly whitish 31. mexicanus. 
Comparative measurements of species. 
Catal. 
No. 
Species. 
Locality. 
Sex 
& age. 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Tarsus. 
Middle 
Its claw 
alone. 
Bill from 
nostril. 
Along 
gape. 
Specimen 
measured. 
5148 
10030 
5147 
10029 
5748 
do. 
1196 
do. 
10322 
Meleagris mexicana. . 
Llano Estacado, Texas . 
3 
Q 
9 
3 
6<J 
M8.50 
*37.00 
M2.00 
•44.70 
*34.B0 
41.00 
47.00 
50.00 
42 00 
19.00 
17.30 
17.00 
20.00 
18.80 
14.60 
15. SO 
14.00 
15.50 
14.00 
6.46 
4.95 
5.68 
6.54 
6 45 
4.08 
3.45 
3.68 
4.50 
4.00 
0.90 
0.84 
0.91 
0.80 
0.84 
1.04 
0.98 
0.97 
1.05 
1.06 
2.31 
1.96 
2.14 
1.90 
Skin 
Skin 
do 
Meleagris gallopavo . . 
Red Fork of Arkansas.. 
57.50 
Fresh .... 
3 
21.00 
20.00 
20.00 
17.50 
6.00 
4.28 
0.90 
1.05 
2.16 
64.50 
Fresh .... 
3 
16.50 
6.24 
4.16 
1.04 
1.06 
2.10 
* About. 
