WILD TURKEY. 13 



close to the wall, some sticks are placed so as to form a kind of bridge 

 about a foot in breadth. The trap being now finished, the owner places 

 a quantity of Indian corn in its centre, as weU as in the trench, and as he 

 walks off drops here and there a few grains in the woods, sometimes to 

 the distance of a mile. This is repeated at every visit to the trap, after the 

 Turkeys have found it. Sometimes two trenches are cut, in which case 

 the trenches enter on opposite sides of the trap, and are both strewn with 

 corn. No sooner has a Turkey discovered the train of corn, than it com- 

 municates the circumstance to the flock by a duck, when all of them come 

 up, and searching for the grains scattered about, at length come upon the 

 trench, which they follow, squeezing themselves one after another through 

 the passage under the bridge. In this manner the whole flock sometimes 

 enters, but more commonly six or seven only, as they are alarmed by the 

 least noise, even the cracking of a tree in frosty weather. Those within, 

 having gorged themselves, raise their heads, and try to force their way 

 through the top or sides of the pen, passing and repassing on the bridge, 

 but never for a moment looking down, or attempting to escape through 

 the passage by which they entered. Tlius they remain until the owner 

 of the trap arriving, closes the trench, and secures his captives. I have 

 heard of eighteen Turkeys having been caught in this manner at a single 

 visit to the trap. I have had many of these pens myself, but never found 

 more than seven in them at a time. One winter I kept an account of 

 the produce of a pen which I visited daily, and found that seventy-six 

 had been caught in it, in about two months. When these birds are 

 abundant, the owners of the pens sometimes become satiated with their 

 flesh, and neglect to visit the pens for several days, in some cases for weeks. 

 The poor captives thus perish for want of food ; for, strange as it may 

 seem, they scarcely ever regain their liberty, by descending into the 

 trench, and retracing their steps. I have, more than once, found four 

 or five, and even ten, dead in a pen, through inattention. Where 

 Wolves or Lynxes are numerous, they are apt to secure the prize before 

 the owner of the trap arrives. One morning, I had the pleasure of se- 

 curing in one of my pens, a fine Black Wolf, which, on seeing me, squatted, 

 supposing me to be passing in another direction. 



Wild Turkeys often approach and associate with tame ones, or fight 

 with them, and drive them off from their food. The cocks sometimes 

 pay their addresses to the domesticated females, and are generally re- 

 ceived by them with great pleasure, as well as by their owners, who are 



