WILD TURKEY. 
185 
size, being* three feet and a quarter long* ; the hill and 
feet resemble those of the male, but are proportionally 
smaller, the latter being* destitute of even a rudiment 
of spur ; the irides are like those of the male ; the 
head and neck are not so naked as in that sex, but 
are covered by small, decomposed feathers, of a dirty 
grayish colour ; those of the back of the neck are 
tipped with ferruginous, constituting* a longitudinal 
vitta on that part ; the caruncle on the frontlet is rudi- 
mental, not susceptible of being elongated ; the pectoral 
appendage is entirely wanting in our specimen ; the 
general plumage is dusky gray, each feather having a 
metallic band, less brilliant than that of the male ; then a 
blackish band and a grayish terminal fringe ; the black 
subterminal band is obsolete on the feathers of the neck, 
and of the whole inferior surface; those of the latter 
part, with the feathers of the lower portion of the back, 
of the rump, and the flanks, have their tips yellowish 
ferruginous, becoming gradually brighter towards the 
tail. The vent and thighs are dirty yellowish gray, 
without any reflections ; the under tail-coverts are 
tipped, and varied with rather deep ferruginous; the 
superior tail-coverts are like those of the male, but 
duller, and tipped with a broad, whitish ferruginous 
fringe. The wings are also duller, each covert being 
tipped with grayish ; less white exists on the primaries, 
the bands being narrower, and the secondaries entirely 
destitute of them. The tail is similar in colour to that 
of the male. It is proper to remark, that the female 
which furnished the above description, though certainly 
adult, had not attained to its full size and perfect 
beauty. It was procured in the month of March, on 
St John’s River, Florida. The male was selected from 
among many fine specimens, shot in the month of 
April, near Engineer Cantonment, on the Missouri. 
It weighed twenty-two pounds ; but as the males are 
very thin at that season,* when in good order it must 
have weighed much more. 
* The extraordinary leanness of this bird, at particular seasons 
