Evening star., 1922-12-03
ORIGIN OF THE TURKEY
THE discovery of the turkey
should be of special interest to

ME discovery of the turkey
should be of special interest to
i Americans who have raised this
bird into a national signif1-
cance which parallels to an almost
equal degree that of the eagle. SYM
Dol of the government itself.
Three times a year. at Thanksgiv-
ing. Christmas and New Year. the peo-
pie advance upon the huge golden
bronze fowl, cut it's throat, strip 1t
of its plumage and convert it into a
savory dish. which fairly makes the
table groan under the extra burden.
Owing to its immensity and the par
excellence of its flesh and eggs, 1t
hiss grown in favor and demand until
it has become one of the most valu-
able species of poultry in the United
States
The name which it now bears was
bestowed upon it by the people of
England. where il is said to have
been introduced in the sixteenth Gen.
fury. The reason for this particular
name is based upon the supposition
that it came originally from Turkey.
We have from reliable sources that in
the latter part of the sixteenth CEN
tury it formed the most important
item in the Christmas dinners Of the
rugged yeomanry of old England.
That the English were wrong in
their assumption that it came from
Turkey is borne out by the fact that
Oviedo. a Spanish writer. speaks of
il Il peacock. originating in MeXi-
=" and imported into the West Indies
and the Spanish Main. where it was
homesticated and perpetuated by the
christian settlers Of that day.
Historical research has revealed the
fact that Montezuma. the proud. rich.
powerful and romantic king of the
Aztec nation. possessed among his
abundant luxuries an extensive ZOO
logical garden. where it is asserted
turkeys were sent in large numbers
to his menagerie.
We have no authority as to the
period when this bird was first bred
in the barnyard with other domesti-
Gated fowl but there can be no doubt
rs to its having been reared by the
Mexicans in the time of Cortez. their
Spanish conquerer. and that it was
titiouuCtu lHtO through We"
Spain CMeXico). or the West Indies.
The average person has always be-
sieved with Audubon, one of the earl
test of American ornithologists. that
:he common barnyard fowl originated
IN the wild turkey which is so pienti-
iul in the eastern states of our coun-
try. but recent disclosures have dis
credited that idea. 1t was observed
that through interbreeding and re-
version. the wild variety did not pro-
duce the color and habits of the do
mestic form. and it was learned con-
cIusively that two distinct species ex-
isted
Our well-known wild turkey. once
So prevalent in the northern states.
has become restricted to the south.
while the states stretching along the
border of Mexico and extending down
the eastern slope of that country pro-
duce what is known as the Mexican
turkey. which is an entirely different
kind of bird. 1t is from this latter and
not from the wild turkey. as has been
supposed. that the most excellent table
Fowl has been derived.
To the expert ornithologist there is
vast dissimilarity between the wild
bird of eastern North America and the
Mexican turkey, which is the barn
yard poultry of so much repute in the
great American home. Their plumage
is not at variance. but the flesh of the
wild turkey cannot compare in flavor
and tenderness with. that of the mar
ket bird.