OF NORTH AMERICA. 113 
and progress. Once common in New Eng- 
land, it is there extinct; and this noble bird 
must now be followed by sportsmen to the 
forest fastnesses of the South and Southwest. 
A few still exist in the Allegheny range, 
but they are seldom taken. 
A successful turkey hunter is the embodi- 
ment of all that appertains to woodcraft ; and 
he who can call a gobbler within range is 
worthy of a place in the front ranks of the 
sportsman fraternity. 
Their food is a mixture of nuts, seeds, and 
insects, and their flesh is as much esteemed 
for the table as that of the domestic bird. 
124. PASSENGER PIGEON. 
Lictopistes migratorius. 
Color blue above, reddish-brown beneath, 
becoming lighter toward the tail, which, 
composed of 12 feathers, is brown in the 
middle and blue on the sides. These blue 
feathers, when pulled apart, show a web of 
white on the inner sides. The neck is beauti- 
fully glossed with a golden-violet. Bill black. 
Legs bluish. Feet red. Eyes red. Length 
16 to 17 inches. Extent about 2 feet. 
This is the bird popularly known as the 
wild pigeon. It was in former years com- 
monly distributed over the entire country, 
passing North and South during their migra- 
tions, in immense numbers. Even now, scat- 
tering birds are seen in the East, but we 
