THE WILD TURKEY. 53 



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. Thus 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 securing 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 oif from their food. The cocks sometimes pay their 

 addresses to the domesticated females, and are generally received by them 

 with great pleasure, as well as by their owners, who are well aware of the 

 advantages resulting from such intrusions, the half-breed being much more 

 hardy than the tame, and, consequently, more easily reared. 



While at Henderson, on the Ohio, I had, among many other wild birds, 

 a fine male Turkey, which had been reared from its earliest youth under my 

 care, it having been caught by me when probably not more than two or 

 three days old. It became so tame that it would follow any person who 

 called it, and was the favourite of the little village. Yet it would never 

 roost with the tame Turkeys, but regularly betook itself at night to the roof 

 of the house, where it remained until dawn. When two years old, it began 

 to fly to the woods, where it remained for a considerable part of the day, to 

 return to the enclosure as night approached. It continued this practice 

 until the following spring, when I saw it several times fly from its roosting 

 place to the top of a high cotton-tree, on the bank of the Ohio, from which, 



Vol. V. 8 



