32 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



when they caught sight of the birds, they would hark 

 furiously, with the obvious intention of frighten- 

 ing them, and making them take flight in different 

 jdirections. When a flock has been scattered in this 

 manner, the sportsman has only to begin with the 

 first, and then he takes the whole flock, one after 

 another. Turkeys generally live in the green Sa- 

 vannahs Avhich border the woods. In the morning 

 and evening they frequent marsh lands which are 

 covered with thick vegetation, among which they 

 scratch up the soil in search of worms and insects ; 

 but in the middle of the day and during the night 

 they retire under cover of the forest to sleep and 

 perch upon the trees. When thus situated, it is 

 very difficult to find them, for they remain motion- 

 less, and seem to belong to the branch on which 

 they are sitting. As a general rule, if the bird is 

 in a crouching position, it is asleep, and the sports- 

 man may approach without fear ; but if it sits 

 upright, it is on the watch, and will fly off on the 

 slightest noise, when it is very difficult to find it 

 again. Turkeys are often hunted in America by 

 moonlight, when they are perched upon the trees. 

 The report of a gun does not frighten them then, 

 and a whole flock may be killed easily. 



One morning when I was shooting in the State 

 of Missouri, walking along a row of carob trees, a 

 kind of gobbling sound attracted my attention. I 

 advanced on tip-toe, and soon discovered, on the 



