THE POULTRY BOOK, 
271 
The centre of the back is black, with green, purplish, and red reflections ; the back 
of the neck, upper part of the hack and shoulders, are in some light bronzy, in 
others the colour of fire ; the greater Yv^ing coverts are uniform bronzy brown, 
forming a conspicuous band across the v»dng ; all the primaries are crossed by 
mottled bars of blackish brown and white, freckled with brown ; all the under 
surface is fiery copper, intensely brilliant in certain lights, and becoming darker 
towards the flanks. 
Total length 4 feet 4 inches ; bill 2|- inches, wing 21f inches, tail 16 inches, 
and, when spread, about 24 inches across ; tarsi 6| inches. 
In the report of an expedition down theTuni and Colorado Rivers by Captain 
L. Sitgreaves, lately published in America, the following passage occurs in refer- 
ence to Wild Turkeys : — 
‘ They are also found in New Mexico, in the neighbourhood of the copper- 
mines. I am told by our officers that those found there are of enormous size. 
Mr. Lerouse, our guide, informed me that the Turkeys of the Gila River were 
different from those found east of the Rio Grande, and that they have much white 
about them.’ 
These are doubtless identical with the bird under consideration.” 
Having given the opinions of these two eminent ornithologists in their own 
words, it may be expected that we should state which opinion we regard as the 
more probable. We think the balance of probability is in favour of that proposed by 
Professor Spencer Baird, and are therefore inclined to favour the hypothesis which 
regards the original of our domestic Turkey as no longer existing in a wild state. 
The remaining wild species, the Honduras or Ocellated Turkey, is a native of 
Guatemala, the province of Peten and Yucatan. The extraordinary brilliancy of 
its plumage renders it almost equal in beauty of colouring to the Impeyan pheasant, 
which scarcely surpasses it in the metallic lustre of the feathers. In size it is nearly 
equal to the common Turkey. At the base of the upper mandible of the bill is a 
long fleshy caruncle, capable of contraction and dilatation as the bird is excited or 
tranquil. The head and part of the neck are naked, and of similar livid colour, but 
without those caruncles or fleshy tubercles on the lower part which are so charac- 
teristic of the common species. On the breast, the tuft of coarse hair that forms so 
characteristic a feature in the common Turkey is absent. 
The feathers of the upper part of the body are mostly of a brilliant bronzed green, 
terminated by two bands ; the first black, and that next the tip of a golden bronze 
colour. Lower down the back the colours become more vivid, and are tinted with 
emerald green, rich blue, or red, according as the light falls upon them. On the 
tail the bars or bands become broader, and even more brilliant, making each feather 
appear as if eyed or ocellated ; and from the arrangement of the tail coverts 
there appear four rows of these brilliant metallic eyes. The upper wing coverts 
are a rich bright chestnut, which strongly contrasts with the white of the feathers 
of the lower part of the wing. 
The entire plumage may be described as far more brilliant, varied, and beautiful 
