THE WILD TURKEY. 



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ever ready pen of the close investigating BufFon, who soon, by 

 a few researches, cleared away the mist by which these specious 

 writers had enveloped the early history of the Bird, and pro- 

 claimed it a Fowl indigenous to the wilds of America alone. 



Prescott, in his Conquest of Mexico^ makes frequent mention 

 of the Turkey, not only in its wild state, but as domesticated 

 among the Aztecs; in fact, they were more common than any 

 other kind of poultry among this strange people. And as a 

 proof of this assertion, we need only state that, along with other 

 items enumerated in a list of yearly expenditures of the Tez- 

 cucan Monarch, was an almost incredible number of Turkeys, 

 being no less than eight thousand. 



THEIR FLESH. 



The flesh of the "Wild Turkey assimilates very closely to that 

 of the tame Fowl, but is darker, more juicy, and, of course, more 

 gamey. 



TRAPPING TURKEYS^ . 



In parts of the country where these Birds are numerous, the 

 most effectual mode to procure a supply, is to catch them in 

 traps, or rather pens. 



Audubon states that they are constructed thus: " Young trees, 

 9 



