BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 65 



ries, in summer al places are full of them, and all manner of berries and fruits." 

 Although the Turkeys have long since departed, wild strawberries still abound. 



The name "Turkey Shore" still borne by the right bank of Ipswich River, 

 where it meets the waters of the sea within and below the town of Ipswich, was 

 so named, in 1635, according to Felt.^ A quotation from Wm. Wood's "New 

 England's Prospect," first published in 1634, sheds interesting light on this name. 

 He says, speaking of Turkeys : " In winter when the Snow covers the ground, 

 they resort to the Sea shore to look for Shrimps, & such smal Fishes at low tides. 

 Such as love Turkic hunting, must follow it in winter after a new falne Snow, 

 when hee may follow them by their tracts ; some have killed ten or a dozen in 

 halfe a day ; if they can be found towards an evening and watched where they 

 peirch, if one come about ten or eleaven of the clocke he may shoote as often as 

 he will, they will sit, unlesse they be slenderly wounded. These Turkies remaine 

 all the yeare long, the price of a good Turkic cocke is foure shillings ; and he is 

 well worth it, for he may be in weight forty pound ; a Hen two shillings." 



A high hill near the town of Ipswich still bears the name of " Turkey Hill." 

 Felt, in 1834, states that the "Wild Turkey have disappeared from this vicinity." 

 Bones of the Turkey were found in shellheaps in Ipswich, at Eagle Hill, by 

 Jeffries Wyman,^ and at the Treadwell's Island shellheaps by Robinson.^ 



According to Howe and Allen,* the Wild Turkey " was a common perma- 

 nent resident in the State until about a hundred years ago. It became very rare 

 in the early part of the nineteenth century, being practically extirpated in the 

 '30's. A few lingered however in the wilder districts about Mounts Tom and 

 Holyoke, and the last specimen actually known to have been captured in the 

 State was shot on Mount Tom in the winter of 1850-51. It has also been 

 reported as seen on Mount Holyoke as late as 1863, when one was said to have 

 been flushed by a hunting party. Baird, Brewer and Ridgway record it as hav- 

 ing been shot at Montague and in other towns in Franklin County 'within a few 

 years,' /. e. prior to 1874." 



The Passenger Pigeon (Ectofistcs migratoi-ins), now rapidly becoming a bird 

 of the past, was in former days very con.spicuous from its vast numbers. Hig- 

 ginson writing of Salem, in about 1630, says: "Upon the eighth of March 

 from after it was faire daylight until about eight of the clock in the forenoon, 

 there flew over all the towns in our plantacons soe many fiocke of doues, each 

 flock contayning many thousands, and soe many that they obscured the light, 

 that passeth credit, if but the truth should be written. " And again : " In the 



' J. B. Felt : History of Ipswich, Essex, and Hamilton, 1834. 



2 Jeffries Wyman: Amer. Nat., vol. i, p. 568, 1868. 



' John Robinson: Proc. Essex Inst., vol. 14. p. 161, 1882. 



* R. H. Howe, Jr., and G. M. Allen: The Birds of Massachusetts, p. 132, 1901. 



