12 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 
its pinions, that they find it difficult to cross rivers 
moderately wide, and in the attempt the weak and very 
fat, are often sacrificed. 
We have seen the wild turkey gathering in troops 
upon the limb of some tall cotton wood on the banks of 
the Mississippi, and we have known by their prepara- 
tions that they intended to cross the river. There on 
their elevated roost they would set, stretching out their 
necks as if gathering a long breath for their, to them, 
prolonged flight. In the mean while, the “ squatter,” 
on the opposite bank, would prepare himself to take ad- 
vantage of the birds’ necessities. Judging from expe- 
rience where about the ‘“ drove’ would land on his side 
of the stream, he would lie concealed until the flight 
commenced. The birds would finally launch themselves 
in the mid air, as in their progress it could be seen that 
they constantly descended toward the earth,—the bank 
would be reached, but numbers exhausted would fail to 
reach the land, and would fall a prey to the insatiate 
wave, or the rapacious wants of man. 
In hunting the wild turkey, there is unfortunately 
too little excitement to make it a favorite sport with 
those who follow the hounds. But the uncertainty of 
meeting with the bird, even if you know its haunts, and 
the sudden termination of the sport, even if successful, 
makes successful turkey hunters few and far between. 
The cautiousness of the wild turkey is extraordinary : 
it excels that of the deer, or any other game whatever ; 
