GALLINACEOUS BIRDS 
310b. Florida Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo osceola. 
Range. — Southern Florida. 
A small variety of the Wild Tur- 
key, about 42 inches long. They 
breed in the tangled thickets in the 
higher portions of the southern 
half of Florida, laying from ten to 
sixteen eggs of a brighter and 
deeper buff color than the northern 
variety, and smaller; size 2.30 x 
1.75. Their nests are generally lin- 
ed with grasses and occasionally 
with feathers. The female sits 
very close when incubating and will 
not fly until almost trod upon, 
trusting to her variegated mark- 
ings to conceal her from observa- 
tion. 
Greenish buff 
310c. Rio Grande Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo intermedia. 
Range. — Lowlands of the southern parts of Texas and northern Mexico. A 
sub-species which differs slightly in plumage and not at all in nesting habits or 
eggs from the common Wild Turkey. 
CURASSOWS AND GUANS. Family CRACID^ 
311. Chachalaca. Ortalis vetula mccalli. 
Range. — Eastern portions of Mexico, north 
to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. 
A very peculiar grayish colored bird with a 
Buffy white 
greenish gloss to the back, and a long, broad 
tail, quite long legs, and with the face and 
sides of the throat devoid of feathers. They 
are very abundant birds in some localities, and very noisy during the breeding- 
season, their notes resembling a harsh trumpeting repetition of their name. 
They are ground inhabiting birds, but nest in low bushes. Their nests are 
made of sticks, twigs, leaves, or moss and are generally frail, flat structures 
only a few feet above the ground. During April, they lay from three to five 
buffy white eggs, the shell of which is very rough and hard. Size 2.25 x 1.55. 
191 
