THE TURKEY. 
125 
again and again into the water, and thus miserably 
perish. Immediately after these birds have succeed- 
ed in crossing a river, they for some time ramble 
about without any apparent unanimity of purpose, 
and a great many are destroyed by the hunters, al- 
though they are then least valuable. 
“ The wild turkeys do not confine themselves to 
any particular food ; they eat maize, all sorts of ber- 
ries, fruits, grasses, beetles ; and even tadpoles, 
young frogs, and lizards, are occasionally found in 
their crops ; but where the pecan nut is plenty, they 
prefer that fruit to any other nourishment ; their 
more general predilection is, however, for the acorn, 
on which they rapidly fatten. When an unusually 
profuse crop of acorns is produced in a particular 
section of country, great numbers of turkeys are en- 
ticed from their ordinary haunts in the surrounding 
districts. About the beginning of October, while 
the mast still remains on the trees, they assemble in 
flocks, and direct their course to the rich bottom 
lands. At this season they are observed in great 
numbers on the Ohio and Missisippi. The time of 
this irruption is known to the Indians by the name 
of the turkey month. 
“ When the turkeys hare arrived in their land of 
abundance, they disperse in small flocks, composed 
of individuals of all sexes and ages intermingled, who 
devour all the mast as they advance ; this occurs 
about the middle of November. It has been ob- 
served, that, after these long journeys, the turkeys 
