THE WILD TURKEY. 9 



Ibs, while most hens weigh under 12 Ibs and most gobblers 

 under 16 Ibs. 



But, although when compared with large Bronze, White 

 Holland, or Narragansett, the Wild turkey may appear 

 small, its power to so reinforce the constitutional stamina 

 of any turkeys with which it is crossed, and thus give prog- 

 eny of superior size, is well known to many turkey raisers, 

 while it is the only known way of retaining the brilliant 

 marking so characteristic of well-bred Bronze turkeys. 

 This fact should be better understood. 



I can conceive of nothing more ornamental, taken all in 

 all, than a stately Wild gobbler, with his beard almost 

 touching the turf, his widespread tail with its black bars 

 and rich chestnut edging, his trailing wings, the crimson 

 and blue coloring of head and neck, and all the colors of 

 y, and sea, and autumn leaves glistening upon each 

 feather such a bird and his half-dozen mates strutting 

 about the lawn and shrubbery of a gentleman's grounds. 

 And no sight would be half as much appreciated by all 

 lovers of nature as such an one. It would instinctively 

 take the mind of the busy city resident back to his child- 

 hood on the farm ; or, if so unfortunate as to have been 

 born in town, back to his father's or mother's childhood, 

 as oft related to him ; back to the time when excitement 

 ran high when the Wild turkeys were discovered feeding 

 on the green wheat in spring ; back to the great Thanks- 

 giving hunt when father or brother brought in this noble 

 chief of the wood to crown the feast ; and back again to 

 the long summer days spent roaming through the forest in 

 search of juneberries, huckleberries, nuts, or wild grapes ; 

 and to the moment of supreme delight, when a flock of 

 Wild turkeys suddenly start up from some hiding place, 

 and with flashing eyes, spreading tails and notes of alarm 

 walk away, slowly, a few steps, and then, with a rushing 

 of brown leaves, like so many phantoms disappear in 

 the dim light of the distant wood. 



