Mr. Bennett, appears to us to embody the best parts of all that have appeared, and we accordingly select it. 66 Those who have seen only the domesticated bird can form but a faint idea of its beauty in a state of nature. When fully grown, the male wild turkey measures nearly four feet in length, and more than five in the expanse of its wings. Its head, which is very small in proportion to its body, is covered with a naked, blueish skin, which is continued over the upper half of its neck. On this skin are placed a number of wart-like elevations, red on the upper portion and whitish below, interspersed with a few scattered blackish hairs. On the under part of the neck, the skin is flaccid and membranous, and extends downwards, in the shape of large wattles. From the base of the bill, at its junction with the forehead, rises a wrinkled, conical, fleshy protuberance, with a pencil of hairs at the tip. This protuberance, when the bird is at rest, does not exceed an inch and a half in length, but on any excitement becomes elongated to such an extent as to cover the bill entirely, and to depend below it for several inches. The lower part of the neck, at its junction with the breast, is ornamented by a singular tuft of black rigid hairs, separating themselves from the feathers, and reaching as much as nine inches in length. The feathers of the body are long and truncated, and generally speaking may each be subdivided into four parts. Their base is formed by a light fuliginous down, which is followed by a dusky portion. This again is succeeded by a broad shining metallic band, changing to copper colour or bronze, to violet or purple, according to the incidence of the light; while the tip is formed by a narrow black velvety band, which last is wanting on the neck and breast. From this disposition of the colours results a most beautiful changeable metallic gloss over the whole body of the bird, which is however less marked on the lower part of the back and tail-coverts. The wings, which scarcely extend beyond the base of the tail, are convex and rounded. They are furnished with twentyeight quill-feathers: the primaries are plain blackish, banded with white, while the secondaries have the relative extent of these markings so reversed that they may be described as white banded with blackish, and tinged, especially towards the back, with brownish yellow. The tail measures more than fifteen inches in length, is rounded at the extremity, and consists of eighteen broad feathers, which, when expanded and elevated, assume the form of a fan. It is brown, mottled with black, and crossed by numerous narrow undulating lines of the same. Near the tip is a broad black band, then follows a short mottled portion, and lastly a broad dingy yellowish band. The feet are robust, have blunt spurs about an inch in length, and are of a red colour, with blackish margins to the scales, and claws of the same dusky hue. The bill is reddish and horn-coloured at the tip; and the irides are dark brown. "The female is considerably smaller, not exceeding three feet and a quarter in length. Her bill and legs are less robust, the latter without any rudiment of a spur; and her irides similar to those of the male. Her head and neck are less denuded, being covered by short decomposed feathers of a dirty grey. Those of the back of the neck have brownish tips, producing a longitudinal band on that part. The caruncle on the forehead is short and incapable of elongation; and the fasciculus on the breast is not always present. The prevailing tinge of the plumage is dusky grey, each feather having a metallic band, and a greyish terminal fringe. On the feathers of the neck, and under surface, the black band is for the most part obliterated. All the parts, without exception, are duller than those of the male; less white exists on the primary wing-feathers, and the secondaries are entirely destitute of bands. The tail is similar in colour to that of the male. 'Until the naked membrane acquires its tinge of red, it is not easy to distinguish between the two sexes; but on the approach of the first winter, the young males show a rudiment of the tuft of hairs upon the breast, consisting at first of a mere tubercle: in the second year, the tuft is about three inches long; and in the third the bird attains its adult form, although it certainly continues to increase in size and beauty for several years. Females have their full size and colouring at the end of four years: they then possess the pectoral fascicle, four or five inches in length, but much thinner than in the male. This appendage is more frequently observed, and is acquired at an earlier period of life in the wild than in the domestic female. 66 66 The wild turkey has been found native from the northwestern territory of the United States to the Isthmus of Panama. Towards the north, Canada appears to be the limit of its range; but from this country, as well as from the more densely peopled parts of the American Union, where it was once extremely abundant, it is gradually disappearing before the encroachments of the Lord of the Creation. To the west, the Rocky Mountains seem to form a barrier that it has never passed, if, indeed, it has reached them; but the wooded districts of the western States are still plentifully supplied with this valuable game, which there forms an important part of the subsistence of the hunter and the traveller. In the north-eastern States it is now become extremely rare although it is still occasionally found in the mountainous parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania; while in the south, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, where, three centuries ago, it was most plentiful, have still a small supply." The varied plumage of the bird in the domesticated state is well known to every one; and in no species is that sure mark of subjection to man more strongly seen. Every gradation of colour, from its original bronze, passing into buff, and, in many instances, into pure white, may be observed in these strutting denizens of our farm-yards. But handsome as is the wild turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo), which has been our theme, there is yet another wild American species, (Meleagris ocellata), first described by Cuvier, from a bird which was once English, but is now the property of the French Government, far more beautiful. The crew of a vessel who were cutting wood in the Bay of Honduras saw three of these noble birds, and succeeded in taking one alive. It was sent to the late Sir Henry Halford; but an accident, whilst it was yet on the Thames, deprived it of life, and Sir Henry presented it to Mr. Bullock, whose museum, then in the Egyptian Hall, was the place of deposit for the most valuable subjects of Natural History. When that rich collection was dispersed, this unique specimen was suffered to leave the country with a multitude of other rarities, which are, even now, the stars of foreign establishments. It was heart-breaking to see one fine lot knocked down after another, and to learn that it was become the property of our more enlightened and more liberal rivals, and no longer to remain on English ground. M. Temminck has given a good figure of it in the "Planches Coloriées ;" and the following is, in great part, from Sir William Jardine's description, which was taken from that of Temminck. In size it is nearly equal to the common turkey, but the tail is not so ample. The bill is of the same form, and the base with a caruncle, which is apparently capable of the same dilatations and contractions with that of its congener. The head and two-thirds of the neck are naked, and appear of the same livid colour, but without any trace of the fleshy tubercles on the lower part which are so prominent a feature in the physiognomy of the common turkey: the only appearance of any is five or six above each eye, five upon the centre of the crown, and, upon the side of the neck, six or seven, arranged in a line above each other, and at nearly equal distances. Upon the breast there was no trace of the tuft of hair; but the plumage was somewhat damaged, and the examination of other specimens must determine whether this character is also present in the species under consideration. The feathers are rounded at the ends; those of the lower part of the neck, the upper part of the back, the scapulars, and the lower part, are of a metallic green or bronze hue, terminated by two bands, one black, and that next the tip of a golden bronze. On the other parts of the back, the distribution of the colours is the same; but, towards the tail coverts, the tints become comparatively vivid, the bronzed hues changing into rich blue or emeraldgreen, according to the incidence of the rays of light, and the band next the tip becoming broader and more golden. Upon the rump, red becomes mingled with the tints, so as to remind the observer of the throat of the ruby-crested humming-bird. A band of deep velvety black separates the blue from this border, and makes the brightness of the latter more striking. The hidden part of each feather is gray, mottled with black: upon the tail and upper coverts this gray part becomes apparent, and the marks take the form of subcircular bars, two of which surrounding the blue band give to each feather an ocellated appearance. From the arrangement of the tail-coverts and the lower feathers of the rump there are four rows with these ocellated tips, where the gray basal portion of the feathers is visible, combining very chastely with the more vivid colour, and keeping down its lustre. The tail is rounded, and consists of fourteen feathers. The lower parts of the body are banded with bronze, black, and green; but they want the brilliancy of the upper plumage. The quills and bastard-wing are black, edged obliquely with white, which almost entirely occupies the outer margin of the first. The outer webs of the secondaries are of a pure white, the central bands not appearing when the wings are closed: the uppermost are blotched in the centre with black, lustrous with green; and this blotching, as the feathers shorten, extends more over their surface, leaving the edge only of the last white. The greater coverts are of a chestnut colour; and the feet and legs are of a fine lake, or purplish red. We have given this description, not without hope that it may perchance meet the eye of some one who has the will as well as the power to bring the magnificent bird to this country. What has been done once may be done again; and we trust that, next time, it will be done effectually. With the naturalized poultry from Asia, Africa, and America before our eyes, there cannot exist a doubt that the Ocellated Turkey would thrive with us. The benefactor who conferred the domestic turkey upon Europe is unknown. He who succeeds in naturalizing the ocellated turkey will have the merit of introducing the most beautiful addition to our parks and homesteads-to say nothing of its utility—since the importation of the peacock; and, in these days of record, his name will not be forgotten. February, 1837. WILD SWANS. "The swans on sweet St. Mary's lake WORDSWORTH. How simply and beautifully true to nature is this musical picture! We behold the tranquil lake-scenery of the source of the Yarrow as clearly as Ruysdael or Nasmyth-the names may be mingled-could have impressed it on the eye of flesh. Linnæus has, somewhat profanely, placed the swan among the Anseres. Sacred to Apollo, it has been celebrated as the bird of the muses in almost all languages from Homer and Callimachus,-whose charming lines make the notes of the swans that flew singing sweetly round Delos absolutely audible,-to him who wrote yesterday. In Retzsch's exquisite designs for Pegasus im Joch"*-not the only ethereal creature doomed to drag on earth the basest materials amid the barking of curs, and hissing of geese-the lake surrounding the lonely island whereon the altar to Schiller is erected, is sacred to him and the swans alone. Venus and her son claimed the bird as well as Apollo: "See the chariot at hand here of Love, Wherein my lady rideth! Each that draws is a swan or a dove, And well the car Love guideth. As she goes, all hearts do duty Unto her beauty; And enamour'd, do wish, so they might But enjoy such a sight, That they still were to run by her side, Through swords, through seas, whither she would ride.” * Pegasus in harness. |