Show IS ae R I 1 01 0 r o A A po 1 M mp 1 a aa J A S P 44 A 4 af 0 i A Z HE turkey Is truly an american can bird it existed on this continent with the indiana before columbus landed only a few years ago among the eaves caves of arizona the mummified remains of a turkey were found practically every cave once occupied by the cliff dwellers of that region contained the bones or feathers of the turkey but this specimen Is intact its age Is a ma matter ater of speculation amoel the scientists of the national museum where the specimen Is on exhibition another interesting tact fact in this same connection resulted from a scientific expedition which dr C hart merriam made among the mountains of arizona he came across a living species of bird identical with the one found mummified and which Is now known to the scientific world by his name another recent discovery in connection with the turkey was a maya hieroglyphic this piece of parchment shows a grocers account in which are mentioned with other things ten turkey hens bens and nd five turkey cocks this is IB thought to be the first record of the turkey in this country and antedates the expedition of cortes to mexico la in 1519 but the turkey goes back farther among the indians than even the probable date at which the specimen found in the cave existed among the zunis for instance there exist many legends handed down from time immemorial which have tor for their subject the turkey the turkey plays a more important part in the life of the indian than in his legends alone not only is it regarded as aa a choice article of food but in many tribes it Is held sacred in the parts ot of the country where the turkey was worshiped with that curious devotion to animals which characterizes different stages in the development fram rom savagery to civilization it was never dever eaten except when other food was unobtainable A and n d baen then separate portions were divided among various tribes so that the religious custom would not be violated turkey feathers rank next in importance to tlc alc these e of the eagle with ell tribes while hile the apaches s the and choso chose the turkeys feathers for or all ceremonial head bead dresses and ornaments the tribe also used turkey feathers for ornamental purposes on their clothing Llo thing as well as for or their headgear to this day when hen they don their native costumes the turkey feather Is preferred as ornament it if benjamin franklins words had been heeded the turkey would have been the national bird ot of the united states th eagle Is a first cousin to the species I 1 down of 0 old in the eastern hemisphere furthermore it has appeared upon the banners of many nations it was a symbol 0 of the roman emple it was known in china tor for ages and today it appears upon the banners of russia germany and several other nations the turkey however Is indigenous to america when the early european adventurers and settlers arrived they beheld great flocks of 0 turkeys and it soon became known that they were a favorite food among the indians after a while turkeys were proudly sent home as trophies of the chase in this way the turkey become practically a world favorite as aa a tood food when cortes in 1519 ascended to the plateau of mexico he found a social life developed to a high degree of refinement ile ho was entertained with oriental magnificence all the delicacies to be found within the empire wera set before him blip and though ganie game was abundant the tha turkey held the place 0 of honor among tho the fowl this was the first time that the spaniards bad eaten turkey and the experience proved a most moat satisfying one they also saw gaw the great tame flocks bocks of the mirds la in tai fat 1 t since prehistoric times the turkey 41 X W 4 ii 4 4 ks GOOD anz has been domesticated and raised for or market today in mexico many of 0 the quaint customs then in vogue are still kept alive and so BO it la is that the purchaser of today may select his choice of 0 a fowl in the village street or if 1 he prefers the vender will bring it alive to his door for or inspection spec tion fresh from the farm north of the rio grande the turkey was equally well known and treasured the celebrated expedition ot of coronado between 1527 and 1547 penetrated this unexplored region west ot of the mississippi his explorations were chiefly in what Is today texas arizona and new mexico the home ot of the cliff dwelling indians ot of the southwest in al all the indian villages according to those early explorers turkeys were to be found both wild and domesticated from america the turkey has spread to be a world favorite but the tact fact that today the turkey Is considered a delicacy in so BO many lands Is due to human agencies and not to the turkey itself slow of movement and deliberate both in beginning flight and in the choice of its alight arg lie the turkey unaided would never have become known outside its native habitat cortes in one of his famous letters written about 1518 mentions the turkey lie he carried specimens of the bird to spain in 1520 where they came into immediate popularity and the breeding of turkeys soon became established it was then that the turkey became known as bavos pavos on account of his relationship to the peacock which was then called pavo real the fowl of kings it was a long time before the turkey reached france as far as can be learned from history tor for the first turkey eaten there was at the wedding of charles IX and elizabeth of austria june 27 1570 or 50 years after spain had bad first tasted the bird the turkey supplied tor for the wedding came from somewhere in the american wilderness its introduction into england seems to have been in 1524 but whenever he never it was it soon camo came into popular favor and was given such local names as diack black norfolk and large cambridge it Is an interesting tact fact that these descendants of the parent stock were carried back again across the atlantic ocean to now england where here crossed with the original turkey already there they began the breed that has spread from one end of the country to the other As in this country the turkey has come to be looked upon elsewhere as a holiday feast attraction in the early colonial days turkeys were still abundant in massachusetts the rest of new england maryland virginia the carolinas Caroll and florida while in the last named states the turkey Is still found as a native wild fowl although ID greatly decres decreased used numbers dumbers but a short distance from richmond to Is a small island inhabited by a tribe ot of indians the lamun keys they are part of the and under an old colonial treaty they pay no taxes and have their own government they must however send to the governor of virginia each year a gift of 0 game or owl fowl and very often this gift takes the form of several large plump turkeys many have been the explanations made as to how the bird now so popular at aba thanksgiving came to be called the turkey most of which to the true scientist are nothing auf but ia fanciful one on such Is tiie the explanation that it comes from the E east eat indian word toka which in hebrew takes the torm form tukki the peacock ellicock eli cock As the jews in south europe were acquainted with this fowl which Is related it Is assumed that they naturally applied the tha word to the turkey wherever it was introduced into spain and stat thereafter it was so called such a roundabout way explanation say bay those who know Is IB entirely unnecessary the bird was called turkey because it was sup supposed posed to come from turkey where it was known as an egyptian hen this it Is claimed Is merely in accordance with a habit very general in the sixteenth century whenever new and strange things were presented to an ignorant public knowledge spread slowly but superstition was deep and hearsay was taken tor for truth the markets of north europe received this owl fowl as coming from south europe directly or indirectly from turkey in france however the bird was called din don or in the feminine binde dinde as though it were the owl fowl binde dinde from india the mexican name tor for the bird Is which scientists claim indicates the old aztec knowledge af 6 the turkey but bot whatever dispute has arisen as to the name of the turkey the fact act yet remains i that the turkey is indigenous to america although scientists believe it is possible that there was a species the original of 0 the present turkey in to the west indian islands it is generally conceded that all turkeys have descended in some way or other from the three forms kno known wn today as the north american the mexican and the honduras the varieties the mexican turkey Is found wild throughout the republic it Is short in shank with feathers on its body of a metallic black shaded only slightly ly with bronze while nil all its feathers are tipped with white this appears to be the species first taken to spain and other european countries it is thought that the white markings of tho variety of domestic turkey known today as the narragansett come from this species the honduras turkey today Is scattered all over most of central america and is extremely wild it hasa has a freer flight than its cousins of the tha north the head and neck of this bird are naked the ground color of the plumage is a beautiful bronze green banded with bold bronze blue and red with bands of brilliant black this bird however cannot be bred successfully nor domesticated away from its native habitat while even there it can hardly be successfully domesticated the bronze turkey that variety which today holds the place of honor in the north american group of turkeys Is outdone by none when it comes to beauty or size in the united states there are six standard varieties recognized and grown they are the bronze narragansett puff buff slate white and black the chief differences are in size and color of 0 plumage the bronze and narragansett are the tha largest the buff and slate medium while tho the white and black are the tha smallest within late years however the white variety has reached such a point of popularity that it has increased increase d in size until with some dealers it occupies third place whatever the turkey may have missed through jailing ailing to secure that place of honor suggested tor for it by benjamin franklin as the national bird it has nevertheless found a place in the regard of the american people which Is held by no other othar fowl |