IN I879, in the ' Bulletin of the United States Geological Sur- vey', Vol. V, No. 3, P- 428, I called attention to the probable distinctness of the Turkey found on the lower Rio Grande in Texas, but hesitated to characterize it for lack of specimens. Since that time I have obtained a fair series of both sexes which convinces me that the bird of this region represents a well-marked subspecies. I propose to call it Meleagris gallopavo ellioti. RIO GRANDE TURKEY. Similar in coloration to M. ffallo.lvo in its neck, mantle, upper wing-coverts and breast, but differing in having the back and rmnp jet black; in certain lights all the feathers show a subapical silvery gray bar of about half an inch in width, with slight rosy reflections, and a narrow line of the same hue on the extreme tip. Feathers oflower back extending over the tail also black with a metallic coppery bronze subapical bar, and broadly t!pped with dark ocbraceous buff. Upper tail-coverts, save the lower series, chestnut with irregular narrow black cross lines, succeeded by a broad black bar, widest in its central portion, with metallic coppery bronze reflections, and broadly tipped with dark ochraceous buff. The lowest series of upper tail-coverts is also deep chestnut, irregularly crossed with black and tipped vith ochraceous buff and without a vestige of the subapical black bar so conspicuous in the other feathers. Tail mottled with pale chestnut and black, taking the form of irregular bars on the lateral feathers, with a subapical black band, and tipped with och- raceous buff. Under tail-coverts black, with metallic green, bronze, and red reflections, and broadly tipped with dark ochraceous buff. The young male resenbles the adult, except in having breast and under parts, flanks, back, and rump, conspicuously tipped with ochra- ceous buff. The adult female is black with the iridescent hues seen in the male on back, wings, and under surface. All the feathers of the upper surface have black subapical bars, and the tips grayish, becoming broader on the lower back and rump, while the feathers of the under surface have pale buff tips. The tips of the upper tail-coverts are ochraceous, but paler than in the male, while the under tail-coverts closely resemble those of the male. The tail also resembles that of the male, but with paler tips. Types: adult 2, No. 569, my collection, Lomita Ranch, Hidalgo Co., Texas. April z3, z878; adult , No. 5533, my collection, Cameron Co., Texas, March. 6, 888. The range or habitat of this race, so far as known at the pres- ent time, is restricted to the lowlands of eastern Mexico and southern Texa's. It will probably not be found south olvera Cruz, nor is it likely to be met with to the north beyond the Brazos River of Texas, its range being thus restricted within about ten degrees of latitude. Wherever timber and food are in abundance we find this new form common to the coast and lovlands, anti we could not expect to find it at an altitude exceeding 2ooo feet above sea-level; while the variety mexicana is found only at the higher altitudes fl'Om 3ooo to xo,ooo feet above the sea. So far as the wild state of the country embraced in the habitat of .. if. ellloli allows us to judge, there is no sign of its inter- grading with any other form. All the specimens that have come under ny observation are remarkably alike, and when compared with the other races show a decidedly marked contrast. The material on which I base my description is as follows: -- Three fine adult males: first, the type taken at Lornira Ranch on the Rio Grande, by myself, on April i3, i878; second, one taken by my collector, John M. Priour, at Victoria in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, April 22, I888; and [hird, one taken by F. M. Chapman on the Nueces River, not far fi'om Corpus Christi, Texas, in the latter part of April, I$9I. Also two young males taken by my collector, M. A. Frazar, at Lornira Ranch, Hidalgo Co., Texas, Jan. 6, i88; two adult females, and parts of a dozen other birds which, taken together, show the characters of the race. In coinparing with the other forms, I have access to the figure of the lyibe of 2Ffeleaffris mexicana Gould, in Elllot's ' Birds of North America', Vol. II, pl. 3 8, exhibiting the bird half its natural size; also to two fine adult females of lf. ,. mexi- cana in the American Museum of Natural History, New York, which were collected by Dr. Mearns in the high altitudes of Ari- zona; and of the eastern form several truly typical specimens which are in the mounted collection of the American Museum. 1 . ellioli can be distinguished fi'om the other forms by its dark buff' edgings on tail and upper and lower tail-coverts, in contrast with the white color on the same parts of mexicana and the deep, dark, reddish chestnut of the same parts in _3/. grallo- pavo, the eastern United States bird. The lower back is a deep blue black and is wanting in those brilliant metallic tints so prev- alent in the eastern 'bird and in the type of mexlcana, The primaries of the xving are black with white bars in contrast with zPI. grallofiavo the primaries of which are white with black bars; in this respect the new race more nearly resembles Jl//. g'. mexz'- cana, and approaches 3/. gr. osceo/a of Florida described by Scott, which has narrow, white b:rs on the primaries. The adult female is darker than that of the other races, and the de- cided dark ochraceous buff' edgings will separate it from the vhite of mex/cana and f3/4om the dark reddish chestnut of . grallopavo. In the young of both sexes the edgings of all the feathers are paler or lightel' than those of the adults, bnt in all cases the buff' is present, while in the other races the edgings are either red or white. It gives me pleasure to name this new Turkey after my friend, Mr. D. G. Elliot, who, both in his published works and in field study has, in a greater degree than any other ornithologist, made a specialty of the game birds of America.