
246 WILD TURKEY. 
artful and vigilant hunter, who, when they are all quietly 
perched for the night, takes a stand previously chosen by day- 
light, and, when the rising moon enables him to take sure 
aim, shoots them down at leisure, and, by carefully singling 
out those on the lower branches first, he may secure nearly 
the whole flock, neither the presence of the hunter nor the 
report of his gun intimidating the turkeys, although the 
appearance of a single owl would be sufficient to alarm the 
whole troop: the dropping of their companions from their 
sides excites nothing but a buzzing noise, which seems more 
expressive of surprise than fright. ‘This fancied security, or 
heedlessness of danger, while at roost, is characteristic of all 
the gallinaceous birds of North America. 
The more common mode of taking turkeys is by means of 
pens, constructed with logs, covered in at top, and with a pas- 
sage in the earth under one side of it, just large enough to 
admit an individual when stooping. The ground chosen for 
this purpose is generally sloping, and the passage is cut on 
the lower side, widening outwards. These preparations being 
completed, Indian-corn is strewed for some distance around 
the pen, to entice the flock, which, picking up the grain, is 
eradually led towards the passage, and thence into the enclo- 
sure, Where a sufficient quantity of corn is spread to occupy 
the leader until the greater part of the turkeys have entered. 
When they raise their heads and discover that they are 
prisoners, all their exertions to escape are directed upwards 
and agaiust the sides of the pen, not having sagacity enough 
to stoop sufficiently low to pass out by the way they entered, 
and thus they become an easy prey, not only to the experienced 
hunter, but even to the boys on the frontier settlements. 
In proportion to the abundance or scarcity of food, and its 
good or bad quality, they are small or large, meagre or fat, 
and of an excellent or indifferent flavour: in general, however, 
their flesh is more delicate, more succulent, and better tasted 
than that of the tame turkey: they are in the best order late 
in the autumn, or in the beginning of winter. ‘The Indians 

