186 
MELEAGKIS GALLOPAVO. 
The young' of both sexes resemble each oth er ,, 
closely, before the naked membrane acquires its ^ ■ 
/V r T» /A OC* TA 111, " 1 11 i 1 fo 
of red, as to be scarcely distinguishable ; the fe® 9 
i k 9 ’ 
nt< 
however, when a few days old, are somewhat l lir ".i 
V 
than the males, and have a weaker piping note; tj, 
males then begin to stand higher on their legs, 
are stronger than those of the females, aud soon e* "Li 
the rudiments of spurs. On the approach of the ^ 
winter, the young males shew a rudiment of the h e 
or fascicle of hairs on the breast, consisting of a 111 J 
tubercle, and attempt to strut and gobble j the 
set" 
year the hairy tuft is about three inches long; 
third the turkey attains its full stature, although 
certainly increases in size and beauty for several 
longer. In a line male specimen, evidently young, " 
I obtained in the Philadelphia market, the plunU’r , (1 
equally brilliant with that of the finest adult, altb ||l .|i 
the frontal caruucle is only one inch in length Jt 
v fgl} 
pectoral appendage two inches, and the spur nU' r 
rudimental. The concealed portion of the plummy 
the anterior part of the back is sprinkled with pa**' 
ruginous, which disappears as the bird advances 111 j 
F emales of four years old have their full si* 1 ’ ,^1 
colouring ; they then possess the pectoral fascicle ,i, 
or five inches long, (which, according to Mr Aud u "| 
they exhibit a little in the second year, if not baft^,. 
but this fascicle is much thinner than that of the 
The barren hens do not obtain this distinction 0,v % 
very advanced age ; and, being preferable for tin' V 
„ . , CT ( 
the hunters single them from the flock, and kill t> j 
in preference to the others. The female wild 
is more frequently furnished with the hairy tuft , \i 
the tame one, and this appendage is gained eai'l’* 11 ^- 
life. The great number of young hens without > ’ -p 
no doubt given rise to the incorrect assertion of * 
writers, that the female is always destitute of it- 
of the year, has become proverbial in many Indian language ’ 
Omau’haw , who wishes to make known "his abject poverty^ ' 
“ Wah pawne zezecah ha go ba, — I am as poor as a tur 
summer. ” 
