74 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



brought from the farm to this latter place wild turkey eggs, 

 and had six hundred young in this tract. Disease broke out 

 and swept them all off in the absence of Mr. Bridges. This 

 disaster was doubtless due to overcrowding. The sagacious 

 keeper did not inform the owner, saying he was " afraid it 

 would worry him." Had he known it at the outset, the 

 young would have been liberated, and most of them probably 

 would have survived. This is on the principle coming to 

 be accepted that these troubles are diseases of captivity, 

 and that the release of " infected" birds does not seriously 

 endanger the wild stock. 



Restocking Projects. Twenty-five young wild turkeys 

 raised on the above preserve have now been sent to Jekyl 

 Island, Georgia, for a breeding experiment. This island 

 may serve as a typical case of southern islands considerably 

 overrun with snakes, raccoons, hogs, and other vermin. 

 Mr. Bridges advised in this case to hold such a breeding- 

 stock in an enclosure of not less than ten acres ; to hatch the 

 eggs under hens, and to let the broods range, on the clear 

 and protected grounds near the houses, if there were no cats 

 and rats to attack them. As they grew up they would roam 

 off and scatter over the island. 



On islands and in really wild sections of country it is 

 probably feasible to propagate the species and stock the 

 vicinity by the Woodmont plan, especially if vermin are 

 kept down. In populated regions, however, the wild turkey 

 is too large and valuable a bird to stand any chance, save 

 in fenced enclosures. Undertakings of these sorts described 

 above are interesting and well worth while. 



