The Portland daily press., 1893-12-19
CHRISTMAS TURKEYS.
Truth in Regard to the Origin of the
Great Yankee Bird.

Some more or less inaccurate remarks
respecting the origin of the turkey, which
contrl butes so much to the enjoyment
of Christmas and Thanksgiving, were
copied into The Star the other day from a
medical journal. 1t is due to this noble
fowl that the facts about it should be set
straight. Whence it was derived was
long mystery, but is no longer. The
points in the case have been established
beyond dispute.
Among the iuxuries belonging to the
high condition of civilization exhibited
by the Mexican nation at tie time of
the Spanish conquest was the possession
sive geological gardens on record. 1t en-
braced nearly all of the animals of that
country, with others brought at great
cost from distance. 1t is stated by histo-
rians that turkeys-called by the Spanish
adventures "a kind of s-peacock"-were
furnished in large mum bers as food to
the beasts of prey in the emperor's me.
nagerie.
At that time the bird had been domes-
ticated and reared in Mexico for hundreds
of years. 1t was carried by the Spaniards
to the West Indies, whence it was taken
to Europe early in the sixteenth century.
Before long it became in Europe highly
appreciated for it's flavor. Being known
to be of foreign origin, a report gained
ground that the fowl had been obtained
from Turkey, that being region little
known in western Europe. In this way
it obtained the name by which it has
since been designated.
10 ir,rr To 70 V1r,if ad C%o%
from Europe brought this Mexican fowl
to the United States, and the progeny of
the stock thus imported and fetched back
to the continent whence it was originally
derived furnishes Yankee tables today.
In fact the contemporary turkey OF the
barn yard did not belon : here originally.
1t is not derived from the wild turkey
of the United States, which is quite an
otner species, with dark meat On the
breast and other differences plainly distin-
guishable. On the other hand, the wild
Mexican turkey has white meat on the
beast and resembles our tame turkey in
all other points.
There are two species of wild turkey
in North America One is confined to
United States, while the other is native
to the Rocky mountains, parts of
Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona
and extends along eastern Mexico
southwark. biologists were long
time finding this out, being puz-'
Fled m eanwhile to account for the
marked differences in color and habits
between the wild and domestic birds of
the country. That a dark meated fowl
should acquire white meat through do
mestication would seem indeed surpris-
ing. In its wild state the Mexican tur-
key derives nourjshment from plants
and insects, scratching with it's feet for
food. 1t is very shy. The birds live in
families like wild geese, keeping senti-
nels on the watch when the flock is feed
ing. They are SO heavy that they are not
fond of taking flight, but the swiftest
dog cannot overtake them in running.
The female lays from three to twelve
roundish red-spotted eggs and matches
them out in thirty days. In Yucatan
and northern Guatemala this bird is
replaced by third species, less in size,
but more striking in appearance, the tail
having spots somewhat like the "eyesn
in the tail of peacock. Washington
Star.