MELEAGRIS GALLOP A YO.
W I L D T U R K E Y .
M-ETEAGKIS GALLOPATOpi ► \ ’5 „ . I s t N a t . ( l l f l fM p . 7 3 2 .-L a th . Ind. Oroith. (1790) vol. u.
M M M B H I M H H H B B M H M M B B M 156'—Bon Am 0m . pi. fl—Aud. B. of Am. v ol.‘y. (1842) p. 42, pi. 587, 288. Id.
’ Ora. Bio". TOIL i, (1834) P- 1 & 33 , vol. V. (l'S3!>> ,p. 559 pi. I . - I d Syn. (l'B39) -W i l s Am. Omith. Index, vol VI (1812)— Bon.
/ w f t S M M M j f e . ' —Nutt fcon^ to . t .-2 8 9 ,^ r a y , List
B. Brit. Mus. (18 4 4 ) p. 29.—Id. Gen. of B. vol. iii. p. .—Sclat. Proc. Zool. Sop. (1863) p. 125, sp.'l.
MELEAGRIS AMERICANA, Gray, Hand-list o f Birds (1870), p. 262. no. 9626.
MEALEAGRIS SYLVESTRIS, Vieill. Nouv.-Dict. v o \? m M 447.
GALLOPAVO SYLVESTRIS, Leconte, Proc. Äcad. Nat. Sc. Phil. (1857) p. 179.- ■
MELEAGRIS FERA, Vieill. Gal. O ilv oL . in ( l8 2 4 ) p . 10, pi. x —Gray, List Gall. (1 8 6 7 )^ . 42, sp. 2.
GALLOp I v O SYLVESTRIS NOVÜL ANGLLE, Ray, Syn. p. 51.
GALLOPAVO SYLVESTRIS, Catesb. Carolin. (1730) vol. i. App. p. 4 4— Briss. Orn. vol. v. (1760) p. 162.
MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO PRIMUS, Temm. Gall. Ind. p. 676.
Hab. North America,: not extending into Mexico.
: on the Bird s o f North America I discussed t i e mooted qfestjpffUif the proper appellation of this bird, and there showed
! g a v e l » n am eB V if fiw i'ii to the bird described ¡ ¡ ¡ R a j # » Gatlopavo: ^ngUteM New-Jngland^Wild
.. . t. •__I -TThhiiss mmaaog-nniiffiiceeenntt
given. to the
In my work on
that Linnseus ga..^ ...... r • , . . , rp
Turkey, which is the species figured on the opposite Plate. I t is unnecessary, therefore, for me to reopen the subject here. |
M W B W the globe-,« I
-world whichifect was a t one time nearly forgotten, as its ofigih seems^to have been .involved in some obscurity. It would be difficult to
■ascertain wHyJ i t a 'p o p n 'a i i«% '* a s given to this b ird ; and i tH s f f b e regretted that siehr)»one: ■ ■ its W a s it is apt t p -
giverise; t o ® Supposition :« a t i j t came from Asia, instead of th e Western hemisphere.:: :Th e||.u rk ey was first introduced into Spam,
hod thence c a rrie llto England. In the reign of F ran c isJjh e First it was imported .in to :F ra n c e ;- a n d ig e first -one ..eaten in that
A n t e y / A ^ 1» t h A i f e & ^ f f i e iw e d d i n g t o f e h a r « P « i n t h , . i n 1670. Bred with much care,
they rapidly 'increased; aiid were «¡Sot taken mtS Asia and Africa A g g f t time this b i r d : ^ pretty,-generally- distributed throughout
¡ S t e Unitcd States, but, like th a Indian, itellas gradually retired be son*l.lt
nlnid the unsettled portions: o f the Western States and the vast regions through which th e Mississippi,I Missouri, and their
' tributaries li-nv. H is still -quite plentiful in * » < * - € |v S « i b e m S ta te s; while iu th e Midi!:.: .,mil Northern .States it has almost,
ifS S jh t i r e ly ,.'d i s a p p e a r e d ., The Turkey m a y ib e . c o n s i d e r e d .both m ig ra to ry g p d -gregarious—th e -f irs t o f.th e s e circumstances
arishi" mainly' from the exhaustion o f their favourite food in any particular section of country, or upon the Opposite fact, of there
A B S great ia hA a h h e -o f it .¿S om e other place When l U ^ s t is the cause ofiitlieir m igration?-they seem to -he insensibly
led towards: the land of -plenty by finding the supply increase- -us. they advance, and not from any particular instinct of their own.
M food) ¿ L i s t s of maize,vbernes, fruits, grasses, aW S l f ondt ¡ ¡ ¡ A t p a rtB |th e - c o u n try w h e r e « abounds, the pecan nut is
preferred « ¡ th em to every thing else.: When -migrating, if-tliejt re ad , a river over whlcl, th e , desire to cross, they generally remain
near the bank for a-day or w o previoufi|-to making the J f . f he-means o fp fi.m p l.shm g their
■ ■ ■ .re c u p e ra teW A s tre u g th befoiS? undertaking .the difficult M While are thus -waiting, the mules employ their
time chiefly in gobbling continually, or in strutting pompously about with lowered wings and .expanded' .tails, the females sometimes
even imitating them in these movements. When they e o f g l f :th».the proc eed,«, stheir Journey, the entire flock
mou-it to the tops o f t h p S h e s f tress, and, a t a given signal H their leader, launch » „ s e lv e s into the- air and lly to the
shore ■ old birds easily cross, f f l f Should Ithe 8 t r e a n i lp % d f the young'.and feeble frequently miss the desired point and fall
into the -stream, when they proceed to: swim- ashore, .which they accomplish: with considerable dexterity by closing their wings, using
their expanded 'tails: for .support, a n d striking Put .rapidly with their long ® d ,p ow e rfu l,: legs. 8 o m e t i n . i ||f » shore . should be
very steep some inre nnahte-to ascend, ifind, falling back from » f i unsuecessjal; attempts, perish in the .water. Towards the latter
part of Fcb-cary, wliat — M lonweason commences, and, strange asjit.imay appear, the females-separate and endeavour
to -hide from the males, while, the -latter, with almoBE unintermitted- gobhliiigf seek for, in all directions. At this season of
the year I have heard the rolling notes o f the males in the early morning resounding from every side as they stood upon their
perches, until, on the appearance of the rising sun, they ceased calling, and silently sought the ground, when they beg?" to -
strut
about, evidently hoping that the eyes o f some watchful female were fixed upon them, Whenever the males meet
thus