THE WILD TURKEY. 139 



of sticks, placed on a sloping piece of ground, with corn 

 strewed around, and leading through a low entrance to 

 a larger supply within ; once inside, the turkeys raise 

 their heads in alarm, and vainly attempt to escape, never 

 stooping to look for any egress below their own height. 



Though this mode of destruction is in Canada 

 forbidden by the game-laws of the country, it is obviously 

 impossible in wild and thinly inhabited districts to 

 prevent the lower and more ignorant class of emigrants 

 from imitating the customs of the free and enlightened 

 citizens over the border, in spite of any argument to the 

 effect that by so doing the ultimate extinction of the 

 objects of their selfish crusade is rendered certain ; and 

 thus the gradual extermination of this noble bird proceeds 

 slowly but surely year by year. 



As a means of suppressing this slaughter, it was at 

 one time proposed to legalize the seizure of any birds 

 exposed for sale that did not exhibit marks of having 

 been shot ; though this requirement was easily com- 

 plied with, as the poachers had only to fire a charge 

 of shot into a whole heap of trapped birds in order to 

 satisfy the condition. 



Next in importance to the Wild-turkey are the 

 different kinds of Grouse peculiar to North America, 

 which are arranged by Baird in the following four 

 Divisions : 



