^'°^914''^^] Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. 353 



wild nature and make them as tame and domestic as the others. 

 Some Indians have brought these wild breed, hatched at home, to 

 be a decoy to bring others near their cabins, which they have 

 shot." 



In 1735, Francis Moore finds in Georgia^ "Of wild fowl kind, 

 there are wild turkeys, though but few of them upon the island (St. 

 Simons), but plenty upon the main. This bird is larger than the 

 tame turkey, and the cock is the beautifuUest of the feathered kind; 

 his head has the red and blue of the turkey, only much more lively 

 and beautiful, his neck is like the cock pheasant's, his feathers 

 also are of the same color with those of that bird, glittering in the 

 sun as if they were gilded; his tail is as large, though it hath not 

 so fine eyes in it as the peacock's hath. At first, before they were 

 disturbed by our people, they would strut in the woods as a peacock 

 does. I have heard some say, that upon weighing, they have found 

 them to exceed thirty pounds ; I never weighed any, but have had 

 them very fat and large; they are delicious meat and are compared 

 to a tame turkey, as a pheasant is to a fowl." 



In Pennsylvania, Kalm (October, 1748) observes that^ "The 

 Turkey Cocks and Hens run about in the woods of this country, 

 and differ in nothing from our tame ones, except in their superior 

 size, and redder, though more palatable flesh. When their eggs 

 are found in the wood, and put under tame Turky hens, the young 

 ones become tame; however when they grow, it sometimes happens 

 that they fly away; their wings are therefore commonly clipped, 

 especially when young. But the tamed turkeys are commonly 

 much more irascible, than those which are naturally tame. The 

 Indians likewise employ themselves in taming and keeping them 

 near their huts." 



Shortly after the Revolution, the number of travellers in this 

 country increases, and at the end of the eighteenth century and 

 at the beginning of the nineteenth century, we have several perti- 

 nent notes. Among Bartram's numerous remarks on this species, 

 we find that he when near Darian, on Altamaha River,^ " saw here a 



1 Colls. Ga. Hist. Soc. Savannah, 1840, p. 117. 



2 Kalm, Peter. Travels into North America, etc. Translated by J. R. Forster. 

 Vol. I, Warrington, 1770, p. 209. 



' Bartram, William. Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, 

 East and West Florida. Phila. 1791, p. 14. 



