TURKEY SHOOTING 445 



made at it, and I was more than half surprised when 

 another big turkey came crashing down. To reach 

 camp we had several deep, dark canyons to cross, with- 

 out trails, and floundered about, finding the usual ob- 

 stacles, which are unconsciously avoided in daytime, 

 but are always encountered at night We were in a 

 cheerful frame of mind, however, and above noticing 

 small bruises and other mishaps. 



"The next forenoon we spent taking pack horses to 

 the roost by a circuitous route and bringing our game 

 to camp. In the afternoon we started on our return 

 to the railroad, and camped in the pifions. The snow- 

 storm we had hoped for until it could no longer serve 

 us came during the night, and the morning found 

 everything white and cold outside our tent. We made 

 a hurried breakfast, and after a long drive reached 

 Winslow in the afternoon. 



"The result of the trip was a series of thirteen speci- 

 mens, including adults of both sexes and the young of 

 the year. When specimens reached Washington Mr. 

 Nelson found they represented an undescribed sub- 

 species, which he named Meleagris gallopavo merriami. 



Merriam's turkey ranges in summer over the higher 

 slopes o-f the Mogollon Mountains. In winter, and 

 especially when the snow lies over the summits, the 

 birds move down to the pifion belt, where food is abun- 

 dant. I found them feeding largely on the nuts of 

 the pifion (Pinus edulis). According to some of the 

 old hunters, they also eat the berries of the cedar (Juni- 

 perus utahensis), but none were found in the stomachs 



