The Wild Turkey. 



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THE WILD TURKEY. 



This splendid bird extends from the North West Territory 

 of the United States to the isthmus of Panama. They abound 

 in the forests and unsettled parts of the Union, but are not 

 numerous in Florida, Georgia, or the Carolinas. They are 

 very rare in the northern and eastern parts of the United 

 States. They were formerly abundant in Canada, but as their 

 places of resort become settled and thickly peopled, they 

 retire and seek refuge in the remotest recesses of the interior. 

 In New England it appears to have been destroyed many years 

 ago, but they are still found in the eastern parts of Pennsyl- 

 vania and New Jersey. 



These birds do not confine themselves to any particular food, 

 but eat corn, berries, grapes, barley, tadpoles, young frogs and 

 lizards. Their favorite food, however, is the pecannut and 

 acorn. Where there is an abundant crop of acorns, there 

 numerous flocks of turkeys may be expected. In the fall 

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