THE WILD TUKKET. 25 



they think the snow is too soft and deep to prevent tra- 

 velling; and they are so fond of shelter that they may 

 l-emain without food for several days rather than face the 

 Wintry hlasts. They are frequently caught alive in rude 

 pens, made of logs or fence rails, but only in places 

 where they are somewhat abundant. The first thing to 

 be done in such cases, is to find the haunt of a flock and 

 scatter grain over it, by putting small quantities in dif- 

 ferent places, and marking these spots for future use. If 

 this grain is eaten, the trapper rebaits the ground, as his 

 purpose is to induce them to come there regularly in 

 search of food. 



When they have been persuaded to do this, he digs 

 j: trench five or six feet long, two feet deep, and about 

 the same width, with the sides sloping gradually from the 

 edge to the bottom. An old rail is placed across the 

 middle of this trench, and others across that until they 

 form a rectangle which encloses an area of two or three 

 hundred square feet. A roof of rails or logs is next 

 placed on it, and the trap is complete. The trench is 

 then sprinkled over with grass and dead leaves, to take 

 away its appearance of freshness, for turkeys carefully 

 avoid any spot tliat has an unfamiliar aspect, as they con- 

 sider it dangerous to their physical welfare. The trench 

 and trap are then baited, and a trail of grain is carried in 

 various directions, in order to lure wanderers towards them 

 from every quarter. When the birds commence eating 

 the grain they become so anxious and heedless that they 

 may not lift their heads until they find themselves inside 

 the pen. Having devoured the generous store usually 

 deposited there, they look around for some means of 

 escape, but in vain, for nothing meets their vision except 

 solid wood, which no amount of fljnng on their part can 

 shake down. Finding their efiorts ineffectual, they com- 

 mence marching round and round in hopes of being able 

 to obtain an opening that may lead them to freedom, 

 2 



