The Coolidge examiner., 1936-01-10

game birds which has been
~ domesticated, the turkey has
become "the national festival bird"
of various countries. AS wild bird
in North America, the turkey sup
piled the numerous tribes of Indi-
ans and the early white settlers
with game. fowl in great abun-
dance. whereas in later times the
domesticated turkey has provided
kings and presidents, as well as
the more lowly in rank, in various
nations with a class of meat that
has come to be regarded as essen
tial in the proper celebration of
certain holidays.
The turkey is the only race of
poultry that originated in the Unit
ed States. When Francisco Fer
nandez, under the patronage of
Philip ii of Spain, arrived at the
northern coast of Yucatan in 1917,
turkeys were observed to have
been domesticated by the natives.
In 1918 Grijalva discovered Mexico
and found dOmesticated turkeys in
great numbers. GOmara and Her
nandez refer to wild as we'll as do
mesticated forms.
Various Indian tribes fed freely
upon turkey meat, obtained from
both wild and dOmesticated flOckS.
The AZtecs were more inclined to
domeSticate the turkey than the
northern Indians, but all tribes
hunted the wild birds.
The flesh was not the only part
of the turkey used by the Indians.
Feathers served to adorn the wear
ing apparel, and they were also
made into robes and blankets, be-
ing twisted separately into strands
of wild hemp and then woven to-
gether.
In it's original habitat the wild
turkey ranged from the Atlantic
coast to as far north as the Da-
kotas, and from southern Ontario
to southern Mexico. 1t was not a
native of the three Pacific coast
states, nor of Idaho. Montana
Utah, Nevada and Wyoming.
With practically whole CONT
nent for his home, the more fa-
vored haunts of the wild trukey
were the forests and brush lands,
where food was abundant and
there was some protection from
natural enemies. He fed on acOrns,
seeds. berries, grass and insects,
especially grasshOppers.
Found Wild in Southern States.
The clearing of the forests and
brush lands for agricultural pur-
poses and the shooting of thou
sands Of birds by hunters were
two of the most important factors
contributing to the gradual retreat
of the wild turkey from northern
and eastern states.
1t is still to be found in Arizona,
New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arkansas,
Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georg-
ia, Florida, Texas, Virginia, West
Virginia, and Mexico. Various
state game departments are rein
Producing the bird, and restocking
depleted areas.
Although there is no doubt that
the wild turkey originated in Amer
lea, there is much doubt as to how
it got its name. Some early writ
ers have suggested that the name
turkey" was adopted because of
the supposed resemblance between
the adornmentS of the fowls head
and the feZ worn by Turkish citi-
zens. But the most widely accept
ed explanation is that the name
bears some resemblance to the
birds repeated call-nOtes - turk,
turk, turk"
The turkey is not a migratory
bird in the sense that ducks and
geese migrate hundreds of miles
from the south to the north in the
spring and return in the fall, much
to the delight of thousands of hunt
ers.
The wild turkey is handsome
bird Of stately carriage. His glossy
plumage is mostly greenish bronze.
with gold and cOppery reflections.
In the sunlight the effect is a de
light to the eye. The feathers of
the neck, breast, body, and back
are tipped with a band of velyety
black, thus accentuating the glow
ing sheen of the remainder of the
plumage.
Gobbler's "Breast Sponge"
The wild gobbler is provided with
an interesting appendage, which is
not found on the females or on
young gObblers. John James Audu-
bon, writing in 1881, speaks of it
as the "breast sponge and it
serves a very important function.
IN the spring, during the gobbling
""son. this sponge is filled with