WILD TURKEY. 21 



In New England, as in Quebec, the early settlers made havoc 

 with the flocks, and drove into the wilderness those they did not 

 destroy. John Josselyn, writing in 1672, states that the bird was 

 becoming rare, while thirty years before it had been abundant; but 

 probably Turkeys were plentiful during part, at least, of the last 

 century, though frequenting less accessible localities. They were, 

 how^ever, being gradually reduced in numbers by the combined 

 attacks of the whites and Indians, and the lessened flocks contin- 

 ued retiring farther and farther from the settlements. 



In Connecticut the year 181 3 is given as that in which the last 

 example was seen, while a few remained hidden among the hills of 

 southern Vermont until 1842; and the last Wild Turkey that is 

 known to have been seen in Massachusetts was shot on Mount 

 Tom in 1847. 



At the present day some small flocks are to be found in a few of 

 the heavily timbered and thinly populated districts of Michigan, 

 Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and in the wild moun- 

 tainous regions of the Southern States. A few may be hidden also 

 in isolated forests in Louisiana and Mississippi ; but in all of these 

 States the number of birds must be small, and is being rapidly 

 reduced. Probably nowhere east of the Mississippi River are 

 Turkeys at all numerous, excepting in Florida, and in that State 

 they may continue numerous long after they have been extermi- 

 nated elsewhere, owing to the almost inaccessible nature of the 

 country to which the remaining flocks have retreated. Beyond 

 the Mississippi these birds are still common, especially along the 

 lower Rio Grande and (probably) in Indian Territory and southern 

 Missouri, though Colonel Goss reports them diminishing rapidly in 

 Kansas. 



Farther west, Wild Turkeys are plentiful ; but the major portion 

 of these are of the Mexican form, which differs from the type prin- 

 cipally in having the upper tail-coverts and the tips of the tail- 

 feathers whitish instead of chestnut. 



Note. — The Florida Wild Turkey {M. g. osceola) has lately 

 been separated from true gallopavo, being smaller and with " broken 

 white markings " on the wings. 



