66 Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. [j^. 



John Josslyn Gent, already well introduced to ornithologists, in 

 1675 presents a strange account. 1 "The Turkie, which is in New 

 England a very large Bird, they breed twice or thrice in a year, if 

 you would perceive the young Chickens alive, you must give them 

 no water, for if they come to have their fill of water they will drop 

 away strangely, and you will never be able to rear any of them: 

 they are excellent meat, especially a Turkie Capon beyond that, 

 for which Eight shillings was given, their Eggs are very wholesome 

 and restore decayed nature exceedingly. But the French say they 

 breed the Leprosie; the Indesses make Coats of Turkie feathers 

 woven for their Children." Not long after, 1680, Wm. Hubbard 

 in a "General History of New England" lists 2 "Turkies" among 

 the birds of the region. In 1686, John Dutton in " Letters Written 

 from New England, London 1705" speaks of the coat of turkey 

 feathers. 3 " Within this Coat or Skin they creep very contentedly, 

 by day or night in the House or in the Woods, and sleep soundly too, 

 counting it a great happiness that every Man is content with his 

 skin." The following year, 1687, Richard Blome alludes to this 

 garment as follows: 4 The New England Indians "weave curious 

 Coats with Turkey feathers for their Children etc." 



In the first part of the next century, we have little appertaining 

 to the New England turkey. In 1720, Neal states that 5 "D. C. 

 Mather (Phil. Transactions XXIX, p. 64) says, they have wild 



Turkies of 50 or 60 Pound Weight, " In 1741, Oldmixon, holds 6 



" there 's hardly greater Variety and Plenty of Fowl anywhere than 

 in New England, as Turkies. ..." In travels made 1759 and 1760, 

 Andrew Bernaby finds 7 " The forests abound with plenty of game 

 of various kinds; hares, turkies, . . . ." and includes it in his cata- 

 logue of birds as "Wild Turkey Gallo Pavo Sylvestris." In 1760, 

 Paul Coffin "saw wild Turkey's Feathers here and there" near 



» Mass. Hist. Soc. Colls. Third Series. Ill, 1833, p. 277 (orig. p. 99). 



* Mass. Hist. Soc. Colls. Second Series. V, 1817, p. 25. 

 3 Prince Soc. Publ. Vol. IV, 1867, pp. 224, 225. 



* Blome, Richard. The Present State of His Majesties Isles and Territories 

 in America, etc. London, 1687, p. 235. 



6 Neal, Daniel. The History of New England. London, 1720, Vol. II, p. 572. 



* Oldmixon, J. The British Empire in America. 2nd edit. London, 1741. 

 Vol. I, p. 186. 



> Bernaby, Rev. Andrew. Travels, etc. 3rd edit. London, 1798, pp. 13, 127. 



