DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 13 



gray and dark gray, all mischievous to the grains; for that rea- 

 son the Government has enjoined on every householder to pro- 

 duce at every Court of Assize a certain number of squirrel heads, 

 or pay fines to a fixed amount for each head wanting in the 

 number. 



August 14. I shot a pheasant which kind of bird is esteemed 

 as one of the most delicate amongst wood birds; they are smaller 

 in size than the European, but are slightly larger than our 

 Hazel Grouse; in regard to the color they nearly resemble each 

 other. Mostly they go two and two together and are sounded 

 through the clapping of the wings when they sit upon a wind- 

 fallen water-soaked log over a brook in the woods. 



September SO. I partook for the first time of Wild Turkey. 

 The forest turkey is the best amongst the game birds of Amer- 

 ica. They are blackish in color and larger than the domesti- 

 cated ones. They are found in great numbers in the Autumn, 

 particularly on the green shoots of the Autumn corn (Rye and 

 Wheat) but mighty timorous they are. It was my most en- 

 joyed pleasure, nevertheless, when out with my gun, if I have 

 an opportunity to follow the Turkey at long distance, when 

 they left the corn fields in the evening and then to note in what 

 tree they went to roost at night, whereupon I went home to re- 

 turn later on in moonlight and could then walk straight up to 

 the tree where they had nestled and feel right sure to be able 

 that very night to shoot the whole lot, only I had a fellow 

 hunter who would come to my assistance, as the birds do not 

 go long distances at night, so that they, at the report of the 

 gun, just only fly on to the tree nearest, until they are all shot. 



October 17. I shot a Vulture. This is a large bird of prey, 

 very much like a turkey; it has such a head as a turkey. The 

 wattle, however, is not so big. It is such a stinking bird, since 

 it feeds on carrion, that it cannot very well be handled, not- 

 withstanding it is useful in medicine. Right through the beak 

 there is a wide opening through which the daylight is seen and 

 when a string is brought through this a person can in walking 

 drag it along without being offended by the foul stench, and 

 upon coming to the village it is fixed to a spit with the feathers 

 on and all and thus allowed to roast by a good fire until the 



