TURKEYS. 
435 
GROUP OP GUINEA-FOWL. 
Turkeys. 
are washed with purple, and the breast and under-parts are cobalt-blue, but black 
down the middle. The tail-feathers resemble the upper-parts in their markings, 
but the middle pair are much elongated and pointed. The male is similar to 
the female, but larger, and with four or five wart-like knobs on each leg. 
The last group of the family is a somewhat aberrant one, com¬ 
prising the turkeys, all of which are natives of North and Central 
America, where three distinct 
species and two local races are 
known. The common turkey 
(.Melecigris gallopavo ) comes 
from the table - lands of 
Northern Mexico and the 
neighbouring States, and is 
recognised by the broad white 
tips to the upper tail-coverts 
and tail; while in the species 
(M. americana ) of the Eastern 
States these parts are dark 
chestnut. The handsomest 
member of the group is, however, 
theocellated turkey {M. ocellatd) 
of Guatemala, Yucatan, and 
British Honduras, each of the 
tail-feathers being ornamented 
with a greenish blue eye-spot 
shot with purple, while the 
metallic parts of the body- 
feathers are golden or bronze- 
green, and the naked head and 
COMMON TURKEY. 
