OF VIRGINIA 91 
FAMILY MELEAGRID/AZ.—TURKEYS. 
GENus MELEAGRIS. 
[310-A]. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Vieillot). 
Wild Turkey. 
Raner.—Eastern United States from Nebraska, 
KXansas, western Oklahoma and eastern Texas east to 
central Pennsylvania, and south to the Gulf Coast, form- 
erly north to South Dakota, southern Ontario, and 
southern Maine. 
This truly magnificent bird, notwithstanding its con- 
tinual depleted flocks by shooting and trapping, is still 
with us, but can not long stand the conditions now taking 
place in our State, unless something is done shortly for its 
protection. The large timber throughout our area is 
rapidly being cut off, and afterwards, with the remaining 
woods full of dead tops and limbs, follows the fire, sweep- 
ing everything before it, and practically making this a 
barren land for five or six years to come. During the last 
six years there has also been a steady increase in our 
section of farming lands being cleared and cultivated, 
while the new methods of farming leave little food or 
cover on the cultivated lands during the winter season. 
These two great factors, with necessarily more persons gun- 
ning for them, is rapidly extinguishing these noble birds, 
and pushing them further westward from our coast line. 
They are not a migratory bird, and one flock will inhabit 
a piece of woods and swamp land continuously if unmo- 
lested; or if not nearly exterminated. The practice of 
trapping them in pens, and shooting them while roosting 
