156 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



four-year-old hen lays the largest setting, the bird being then at her prime. Well 

 hidden indeed must be the nest. Skunks, opossums, and raccoons are ever on the 

 alert for scrambled eggs, and even the old gobblers will destroy a family, whether 

 in the form of eggs or helpless young. Among the young Turkey's enemies are 

 wildcats, foxes, and some of the larger birds of prey. 



In the fall the old males join the hens and their well-grown broods, until some- 

 times flocks of very large size result. With us, however, eight or ten birds make 

 up the average gang, though larger companies are by no means rare. 



The food of the Wild Turkey is varied. The young are particularly fond of 

 grasshoppers, while various nuts, berries, and acorns form the bulk of the food of 

 the adults. We have seen their tracks out on a fresh-water marsh, which were 

 made, we were told, when the birds were in search of small frogs. In the swamps 

 of eastern North Carolina the black-gum berries are a staple article of diet, the 

 leafy carpet of the woods where black-gums grow bearing abundant evidences of 

 the fact. 



The principal method of hunting these birds is by scattering the flock and after- 

 wards calling them up individually within range of the gun. 







27. FAMILY PHASIANID>E. PHEASANTS 



Genus Phasianus (Linn.) 



139. Fhasianus colchicus x phasianus torquatus. ENGLISH RING-NECKED 



PHEASANT. 



Description. General color of male, coppery chestnut, with bright purple or bronze reflec- 

 tions. The neck is metallic blue, tail long and pointed, with dark crossbars. The female is 

 brownish, mottled and varied with dusky: lower parts plain: tail barred. L., 30.00: W., 10.00; 

 T., 18.00y20.00. 



Range in North Carolina. At present confined largely to the piedmont section of the State. 



While the English Ring-necked Pheasant is not a native, it has been introduced 

 and reared on some of the large game preserves in the central part of the State. 

 Wandering beyond the borders of these preserves, this splendid game bird may now 

 be frequently met with in various localities; especially is this true in the counties 

 of Randolph, Chatham, Davidson, and Guilford. 



Large in size, of most gorgeous plumage (in the case of the male), and one of 

 the best birds for the table, the English Ring-necked Pheasant is worthy of the 

 heartiest efforts of the bird-protectionist. With proper regulations for its propaga- 

 tion and protection, it should prove a valuable addition to the avifauna of the 

 State. Thousands of them breed today in a wild state in central North Carolina. 

 The English Ring-necked Pheasant is a hybrid between the English Pheasant 

 (Phasianus colchicus} and the Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus torquatus). 



XI. ORDER COLUMB^!. PIGEONS AND DOVES 



28. FAMILY COI_UMBID>E. PIGEONS AND DOVES 



KEY TO GENERA 



1. Tail short, rounded; wing less than 4.00. Chcemepelia. 

 1. Tail long and pointed. Zenaidura. 



