The Oologist. 



vol. x. 



ALBION, N. Y., NOV., 1893. 



NO. 11 



Some Notes on the Wild Turkey. 



One of the greatest gifts which Amer- 

 ica has bestowed upon the world is the 

 Turkey. 



We are told that it was first taken 

 from this country by a Spaniard who in 

 the sixteenth century removed a few 

 from Mexico to Spaiu. Afterwards it 

 was imported into France andEngland. 

 These magnificent birds were once dis- 

 tributed generally throughout Eastern 

 and Central United States; but being 

 such large and handsome game birds 

 their forms have disappeared from 

 rnany parts of our country. A good 

 many years ago when this portion of 

 North Carolina was new, Turkeys were 

 abundant. But the single farms be- 

 came settlements and settlements grew 

 to towns, and as time went on the coun- 

 try became more aud more thickly peo- 

 pled. As white men increased Turkeys 

 decreased. Some years ago by a new 

 stock law all cattle, were obliged to be 

 kept up instead of being allowed to run 

 at large as they had hitherto done. 

 This was the salvation of the Turkey, 

 for a time at least. The old out-lying 

 sage fields were no longer burned over 

 to provide fresh pasture lands, and the 

 long grass and underbrush that had 

 been kept down by the cattle sprang up 

 thickly, thus affording cover for the 

 persecuted fowls. Their numbers in 

 this section have since then increased. 

 I have even shot at wild Turkeys in the 

 Spring within sound of th-e college bell. 

 An old hunter named Jessnp with his 

 two sons, living a few miles north of 

 here, for the last four or five years kill- 

 ed forty or fifty Turkeys each season. 

 One of the boj^s alone bagged over thir- 

 ty last winter. They report, however, 

 that each winter they are obliged to go 



farther aud hunt closer than was nec- 

 essary the winter before. During the 

 Christmas holidays of '91 three of the 

 students and myself who remained over 

 for the spring term, started off for a 

 Turkey hunt. I was promised all the 

 Turkeys that should be killed by the 

 party for specimens. Our plan was to 

 reach Jessup's about dark, get one of 

 the boys to accompany us, push on 

 four or -five miles into the very heart of 

 the Turkey country and camp for the 

 night in the woods. Arriving at the 

 old "Tar-heel's" house a little after 

 dark, the old gentleman amuse us by 

 telling of his war experiences, Avhile 

 Dan was busy loading his shells. After 

 half an hour spent in relating thrilling 

 adventures, he paused and sat looking 

 into the fire fighting over again in his 

 mind the battles of '63 and '64. One of 

 the boys taking advantage of the sil- 

 ence said, "Mr. Jessup were you in the 

 battle of Marathon?" "Wall no," re- 

 plied the old man, "I war in Lee's army 

 and dat battle wer fought over in Vir- 

 ginia somewhar, I heared about hit at 



de time." 



. Just at daybreak next morning Dan 

 and myself parted company in the 

 woods. I crossed a creek and went up 

 on the hill according to his directions, 

 while he went farther down. The 

 other three men were posted back up 

 the cieek. Upon reaching the heavy 

 growth of pines to which I had been 

 directed, I threw myself down upon 

 the pine needles, let my heels kick 

 about in the air and munched the re- 

 menants of my last biscuit. Only a 

 few' minutes had elapsed when there 

 was a sound of heavy flapping and three 

 great birds sailed bj^; one alighting in a 

 tree within ten yards of tvhere I lay; 

 the other two passed farther up the 

 creek and likewise lit. Cautiously ris- 



