WILD TURKEY. 
175 
grounds, as well as of the trees on which they have 
once roosted. Flocks have been known to resort to 
one spot for a succession of years, and to return after a 
distant emigration in search of food. Their roosting 
place is mostly on a point of land, jutting into a river, 
where there are large trees. When they have collected 
at the signal of a repeated gobbling, they silently 
proceed towards their nocturnal abodes, and perch near 
each other : from the numbers sometimes congregated 
in one place, it would seem to be the common rendezvous 
of the whole neighbourhood. But no position, however 
secluded or difficult of access, can secure them from the 
attacks of the artful and vigilant hunter, who, when 
they are all quietly perched for the night, takes a stand 
previously chosen by daylight, 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 passage 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 
gradually led towards the passage, and thence into the 
enclosure, 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 
