Page:Condor14(6).djvu/4

 210 THE CONDOR Vol. XIV that when, for example, a wild turkey has laid a very dark egg, densely speckled with still darker spots, we can always find an egg--somewhere--which has been laid by a domesticated turkey, which, practically, would be exactly like it, and so on for other kinds. Beyond such notes as these, however, I shall not enter upon the study of the eggs of the tame turkey in this place, as my object is to record some observations I made upon studying the fine series of eggs of the Melea- g'idae in the collections of the United States National Museum. Caton's article, entitled "The Wild Turkey and its Domestication" appeared in The America Naturalist (vol. xi, no. 6, t877, pp. 32t-33o), and he there says, on page 324, "The eggs of the wild turkey vary much in coloring and some- what in form, but in general are so like those of the tame turkey, that no one can select one from the other. The ground color is white over which are scattered reddish-brown specks. These differ in shades of color but much more in num- bers. I have seen some on which sdarcely any specks could be detected, while others were profusely covered with specks, all laid by the same hen in the same nest. The turkey eggs are more pointed than those of the goose or the barnyard fowl, and are much smaller in proportion to the size of the bird." This, in the main, is a fair description of the eggs of Meleagris, while at the same time it may be said that the ground color is not always "white," nor the markings exactly what might be denominated "specks." Turkey eggs of all kinds, laid by hens of the wild as well as domesticated birds, have been described and figured in a great many popular and technically scientific books and other works, in this country as well as abroad. I have ex- amined a large part of this literature; but I soon became convinced of the fact that no general description would begin to stand for the different kinds of eggs that turkeys lay. They not only differ in size, form and markings, but in ground col- ors, numbers to the clutch, and some other particulars. In Other words, the eggs of our various breeds of tame turkeys are like the eggs of the several' forms o{ ' the wild bird, that is, the' subspecies known to science in the United States avi- fauna.' Therefore I have not thought it necessary to present here any descrip- tions of. the eggs of the tame turkeys or reproductions.of photograph s of the same. Among the most beautiful of the wild ttirkey eggs published are those whici appear in Major Bendire's work. 'They were drawn and painted by Mr. John L. Ridgway of the 'United States Geological Survey.* These Very eggs i have not only examined, studied and compared, but, thanks to Dr. Richmond of the De- Partment of Birds of the Museum, and to Mr. J. H. Riley, his assistant, I had such specimens as t needed'loaned 'me from the general collection of the Musum so that I might photograph them for use in the present connection. Dr. Richmond (lid me a special kindness here 'in selecting for my study the-f6ur eggs reproduced in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 82). These are all of M. g. silvestris. Of these numbers t and 2 are front the same clutch, and doubtless laid by lhe same bird (nos. 3oot4, 3ooi4). They were collected by Mr. J. H. Riley at Falls Church, Va. Number i is an egg measilring 66 mm x 45 mm, the color be- ing a pale buffy-brown, finely and evenly speckled' all over with umber-brown, with very minute specks to dots measuring a millimeter in diameter. The finest speckling, with no larger spots, is at the greater end (butt) for a third of the egg. Numbr 2 measures 63 mm x 45 mm, the ground color being a pale cream, .speckled somewhat thickly and uniformly all over with fine specks of light brown and lavender, with larger spots and ocellated marks of lavender moderately abun- Habits and Eggs. Washington, Govmt. Printing Office, 1892.
 * BENDIRE CHARLES. Life Histories of North merican Birds with special reference to their Breedin