Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-11-19
SOME TURKEY LORE.
HISTORY AND HAelTS OF THE MA
TIONAl bird.

|
It's Species Is N Native Of the Old World.
Our Domestic GobbIer Is "A Descendant
of the wild Turkey of Mexico.
The turkey is deserving of special SYM
pathy inasmuch as IL may be regarded
fairly as the representative American bird.
Its likeness would DO more appropriate
than that Of the eagle as the national en-
blem No species of It's genus Is native
Of the old world. When the Spanish con-
querors came to Mexico, they saw and
wrote home about the turkey. They de-
scribed it as kind of peacock Montezu-
ma had one of the greatest geological col
| lections ever got together comprising near
ly all the animals of the country, 10 which
were added many brought from afar. He
was very proud OF his menagerie, on which
great sums of money were spent Large
numbers of turkeys were furnished alive
as food to the carnivorous beasts. At that
period turkeys had already beer domesti-
Gated for centuries in the land of the Az
tees, and they were reared in much the
same way as at present.
From Mexico the domesticated turkey
was brought to the West Indies as early as
1896. 1t was carried to Europe by the
Spaniards and the delicacy of its flesh be-
ing highly appreciated, it soon spread over
the greater part of Europe In the reign
of Francis / it was imported into France.
The first one eaten in that country Is said
to have been served at a banquet on the
occasion of the wedding of Charles TX.
This was In 1870. The bird was bred with
much care and not long afterward it found
its way into Africa and Asia In 154l 1t
was introduced into England. Although
these facts are beyond dispute, there was
question for long time as to the origin of
the turkey. In Great Britain it was pop
ularly supposed TO have come from Tur-
key, and hence the name given to it,
The most remarkable event in the his
tory of the turkey, however, remains to be
told. From Europe 1t was brought to the
United States, and it is the descendants Of
these imported birds that appear on our
Thanksgiving tables, trussed and Drowned,
with giblet gravy for an appetizing accom-.
panimcnt In fact our domestic turkey is
the Mexican bird--a different species from
the familiar wild turkey of this country.
The notion so widely held that the barn
yard turkey Is this wild turkey domesti-
Gated is an error 1t was first proved to be
such by the late Spencer +. Baird, former
ly secretary of the Smithsonian institu-
turkeys with tame ones. The wild turkeys
Of Mexico today, on the other hand are
just like our tame turkeys, being de-
rived from the same original stock. They
have the same white meat - decidedly
whittier than that of the wild turkeys of
the United States-and they exhibit other
likenesses in addition.
There are two species of wild turkeys In
North America One Is confined to the
eastern and southern United States and
the other TO the southern Rocky mountain
region and adjacent parts of Texas, New
Mexico and as far south as OriZaba In a
word, one species belongs to eastern and
tho other to middle north America Our
barnyard turkeys are derived from the
latter stock The differences between the
two species are not so marked as to excite
the attention of the casual observer In
the Mexican or barnyard fowl the tips Of
the tail feathers and the feathers overly
ing the base of the tail are creamy white.
The same feathers in the wild turkey of
the eastern United States are brown al
ways.
In view of the facts here stated, the
Mexican wild turkey Of today becomes in
teresting 1t Is very shy bird and lives
In families like the goose. Sentinels are
kept on watch while the flocks feed. The
female lays 12 brownish red, spotted eggs,
which are Matched in 80 days. 1t feeds on
various kinds of berries and fruits and pre-
fers pecan nuts to any other diet when
they can be found Its habits In all i'm
portant respects are like those of the wild
turkey Of the United States
When migrating, IL they reach river
which they want to cross, the turkeys wait
on the near bank for day or two, for
consultation apparently. Meanwhile the
males gobble continually and strut about
with lowered wings and expanded tails
When the proper time arrives, the entire
flock rises to the tops of the heighest trees,
and, at signal from the leader the birds
launch themselves In the air and fly to the
opposite shore. Should the stream be
wide the young and feeble individuals are
apt TO miss the point aimed at and fall
into the water They swim ashore with
much dexterity, closing their wings, using
the expanded tail for "A support and strik-
ing out rapidly with their long and pow
erful legs. Sometimes, If the bank Is very
steep, a few may be unable to ascend, and,
falling back from unsuccessful attempts
they are drowned
In Yucatan and Guatemala Is found a
third species of turkey, which is one of the
most beautiful birds known to the orni-
biologist. Its feathers blaze with metallic
reflections of gold green, blue and bronze.
1t Is somewhat less in size than the other
two kinds. Its tail Is ornamented with
eyes like those of the peacock. This spe-
cies Is called the 'ocellated" turkey