Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-23

sympathy inasmuch as it may be re
: garded fairly as the Representative,
American bird. Its likeness would b
more appropriate than that Of the eagl,
as the national emblem. No species O
its genus is native Of the old world
When the Spanish conquerors came t.
Mexico, they saw and wrote home
about the turkey. They described it as
a kind Of peacock. Montezuma had one
Of the greatest geological collections
ever got together. comprising nearly
all the animals of the country, to
which were added many brough, from
afar. He was very proud of his me-
nagerie, on which great sums of money
were spent. Large numbers of tur-
keys were furnished alive as food to
the carnivorous beasts. At that
period turkeys had already been do
mesticated for centuries in the land of
the Aztecs, and they were reared in
much the same way as at present
From Mexico the domesticated tur-
key was brought to the West Indies as
early as 1926. 1t was carried to Europe
by the Spaniards, and the delicacy of
its flesh being 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 it's way into Africa
and Asia. In 1541 it was introduced
into England. Although these facts
are beyond dispute, there was question
| for a long time as to the origin of the
turkey. In Great Britain it was pop
ularly supposed to have come from
| Turkey, and hence the name given to
it.
The most remarkable event in the
history of the turkey, however, re-
mains to be told. From Europe it
was brought to the United States, and
it is the descendants Of these imported
birds that appear on our Thanksgiv-
ing tables, trussed and Drowned, with
giblet gravy for an appetizing accom-
paniment. In fact, our domestic tur-
key is the Mexican b1rd-a different
species from the familiar wild turkey
of this country. The notion SO widely
held that the barnyard turkey is this
wild turkey domesticated is an error.
1t was first proved to be such by the
late Spencer F. Baird, formerly secre-
tary of the Smithsonian institution:
hence the difficulty of mating wild tur-
keys with tame ones. The wild tur-
keys of Mexico today, on the other
hand, are just like our tame turkeys,
being derived 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 the
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 everything 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
interesting 1t is a very shy bird and
lives in families like the goose. Senti-
nels are kept on watch while the flocks
feed. The female lays II brownish
red, spotted eggs, which are Matched in
80 days. 1t feeds on various kinds of
berries and fruits and prefers pecan
nuts to any other diet when they can
respects are like those of the wild
turkey of the United States.
When migrating, if they reach a
river which they want to cross, the
turkeys wait on the near bank for a
day or two, for consultation apparent
Iy. Meanwhile the males gobble con-
tinually and strut about with lowered
wings and expanded tails. When the
proper time arrives, the entire flock
rises to the tops Of the highest trees
and. at a 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 clos
ing their wings, using the expanded
tail for q support and striking out
rapidly with their long and powerful
legs. Sometimes, if the bank is very
steep, a few may be unable to ascend
and, falling back from unsuccessful at
tempts, they are drowned.
In Yucatan and Guatemala is found
third species Of turkey, which is one
of the most beautiful birds known tc
the ornithologist. It's feathers blaze
with metallic reflections of gold, green
blue and bronze 1t is somewhat les:
in size than the other two kinds. It:
| tail is ornamented with eyes like those
Of the peacock. This species is called
the "ocellated" turkey.
A Snowy Thanksgiving.