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THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIV 
that when, for examjile, a wild turkey has laid a very dark egg, densely speckled 
with still darker spots, we can always find an egg — somewhere — which has been 
laid by a domesticated turkey, which, practically, would be exactly like it, and so 
on for other kinds. Ileyond such notes as these, however, I shall not enter upon 
the study of the eggs of the tame turkey in this place, as my object is to record 
some obserA^ations I made upon studying the fine series of eggs of the Alelca- 
gridae in the collections of the United States National Museum. 
Caton’s article, entitled “The Wild Turkey and its Domestication” appeared 
in The Aincrican Naturalist (vol. xi, no. 6, 1877, pp. 321-330), and he there 
says, on page 324, “The eggs of the wild turkey vary much in coloring and some- 
Avhat in form, but in general are so like those of the tame turkey, that no one can 
select one from the other. The ground color is white over which are scattered 
reddish-brown specks. These differ in shades of color but much more in num- 
bers. I have seen some on which scarcely any specks could be detected, while 
others were profusely covered with specks, all laid by the same hen in the same 
nest. The turkey eggs are more pointed than those of the goose or the barnyard 
fowl, and are much smaller in proportion to the size of the bird." 
This, in the main, is a fair description of the eggs of Meleagris, while at 
the same time it may be said that the ground color is not always “white,” nor the 
markings exactly what might be denominated “specks." 
Turkey eggs of all kinds, laid by hens of the wild as well as domesticated 
birds, have been described and figured in a great many popular and technically 
scientific books and other works, in this country as well as abroad. I have ex- 
amined a large part of this literature ; but 1 soon became convinced of the fact that 
no general description would begin to stand for the different kinds of eggs that 
turkeys lay. I'hey not only differ in size, form and markings, but in ground col- 
ors, numbers to the clutch, and some other particulars. In other Avords, the eggs 
of our various breeds of tame turkeys are like the eggs of the several forms of 
the wild bird, that is, the subspecies knoAvn to science in the United States avi- 
fauna. Therefore I have not thought it necessary to present here any descrip- 
tions of the eggs of the tame turkeys or reproductions of photographs of the same. 
Among the most beautiful of the AA-ild turkey eggs jniblished are those Avhich 
appear in Major Bendire's Avork. They Avere draAvn and painted by Adr. John U- 
IvidgAvay of the United States Geological Survey.* These very eggs I have not 
only examined, studied and compared, but, thanks to Dr. Richmond of the De- 
iiartment of Birds of the Museum, and to Mr. J. H. Riley, his assistant, I had such 
specimens as I needed loaned me from the general collection of the Musum so 
that 1 might photograph them for use in the present connection. Dr. Richmond 
did me a special kindness here in selecting for my study the four eggs reproduced 
in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 82). These are all of M. g. sUvestris. 
( )f these numbers i and 2 are from the same clutch, and doubtless laid by 
the same bird (nos. 30014. :500T4). They Avere collected by Mr. J. H. Riley at 
Falls C hurch, V’a. Number 1 is an egg measuring 66 mm x 45 mm, the color be- 
ing a ])ale buffy-brown, finely and evenly speckled all over with umber-brown, 
with very minute specks to dots measuring a millimeter in diameter. The finest 
speckling, Avith no larger spots, is at the greater end (butt) for a third of the egg. 
Numbr 2 measures 63 mm x 45 mm, the ground color being a pale cream, 
,-peckled someAvhat thickly and uniformly all over Avith fine specks of light brown 
and lavender, Avith larger spots and ocellated marks of lavender moderately abun- 
* BENDIRE CHARIyES. Histories of North Ainericati Ihnls with special reference to their Breedipjj 
Habits and Egrss. Washington. Govnit. Printing Office. 1892. 
