All domestic varieties of turkeys have descended from the North American
wild stock, comprising the eastern wild turkey, which ranged over the
eastern part of the United States from Maine to Florida; the Florida
wild turkey, which ranged over southern Florida; the Rio Grande wild
turkey, which ranged over southern Texas and northwestern Mexico; and
the Mexican wild turkey, which ranged over Arizona, western New Mexico,
southern Colorado, and Mexico. It is probable, however, that these four
wild turkeys were of common origin and that most of our domesticated
varieties, especially the Bronze, have descended from the Mexican wild
turkey.
Six standard varieties of domestic turkeys are recognized by the American
Poultry Association, an organization having as its primary function the
promotion of standard qualities in all breeds and varieties of poultry
in North America. The association publishes the Standard of Perfection,
which contains concise descriptions of breeds and varieties of poultry,
with illustrations of the most important ones.
The following is a brief description of each of the six varieties,
namely, the Bronze, White Holland, Bourbon Red, Narragansett, Black, and
Slate.
[Illustration: Figure 2.--Bronze turkey, female.]