220 Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. [April 



pheasants." In the Journal of General Butler (1785) we have at 

 least sixteen references to the abundance of turkeys along the Ohio 

 River. He records them at the mouths of the Muskingum, the Big 

 Hockhocking, the Kanawaha, the Louisa, the Little Miami, and 

 the Licking Rivers and Big Bone Creek. In the Kanawha terri- 

 tory, 1 "we had great sport among the turkeys " Above Kan- 

 awha, "here we having nothing to do but spring from our boats 



among flocks of turkeys, kill as we please, for sport or gust, I 



have just stepped from my boat and killed at one shot two fine 

 turkeys, and our whole party feasts on fine venison, bear meat, 

 turkeys. . . .procured by themselves at pleasure." Near Big Hock- 

 hocking River, "our hunter. . . .killed. . . .many fine turkeys, which 

 we distributed among the families and troops with us," and finally 

 he writes, "I cannot help here describing the amazing plenty and 

 variety of this nights supper. We had fine roast buffalo beef, soup 

 of buffalo beef and turkeys, fried turkeys, fried catfish fresh caught, 

 roast ducks, good punch, madeira, claret, grog, toddy and the 

 troops supplied in the most abundant manner." 



In 1788, Col. James May reports in nine different instances the 

 wild turkey in this same region. Around Hockhocking, his hunters 

 in three days secures seven turkeys and seven deer. 2 "He might 

 have killed any quantity but it is the season when they are not fat." 

 In another place, he says " Our luck has been .... to have good provi- 

 sions. . . .the best of bread, fine venison and turkeys." The same 

 year, George Henry Loskiel writes of this form as follows : 3 " Wild 

 Turkeys (Maleagris gallopavo) flock together in autumn in great 

 numbers, but disperse in the woods towards spring. They are 

 larger than the tame turkies, and commonly perch so high upon the 

 trees, that they cannot be shot but with a ball. In winter their 

 plumage is of a shining black but changes in summer to a light 

 brown with white spots upon the wings. Their eggs are much 



» The Olden Time, Vol. II, pp. 441, 443, 444, 445, 447, 448, 452, 454, 462, 492, 

 495, 496, 497, 505, 507. 



2 Journal and Letters of Col. James May of Boston, Relative to Two Journeys 

 to the Ohio Country in 1788 and 1789. Cincinnati, 1788, pp. 44, 49, 69, 72, 74, 78, 

 83, 89, 91. 



» Loskiel, G. H. History of the Mission of the United Brethren among the 

 Indians in North America. In three parts. Translated by C. I. Latrobe. Lon- 

 don, 1791. Part I, pp. 91, 48. 



