In hunting the wild turkey there is unfortunately too little excitement, and too much luck to make it a favourite sport. Could the bird be as surely started as the fox, or deer, and chased in the same manner and with the same chances of success, the value of the bird would make its hunting the greatest sport in the world. But, the uncertainties of meeting with the bird even if you know its haunts, the word and blow sort of manner necessary if you do meet with it, confines its hunters to a very few individuals indeed. The cautiousness of the wild turkey is wonderful, excelling that of the deer or any other game whatever, and nothing but stratagem and the most intimate knowledge of its habits will command success. We once knew an Indian who gained a living by bringing game into a town in the west, who always boasted exceedingly if he could add a wild turkey to his common load of deer, and as the bird was in greater demand than he could supply, he was taunted by the disappointed epicures of the village for want of skill in hunting. To this charge he would always reply with great indignation, and claim the character of a good hunter from the quantities of venison that he disposed of. "Look here" he would angrily say, "I see deer on the prairie, deer look up and say, maybe Indian, maybe stump, and deer eats on, come little nearer, deer look up again, and say, maybe Indian, maybe stump, and first thing deer knows he dead. I see wild turkey great way off, creep up very slowly turkey look up, and say first time he see me, dat damn Indian any how, and off he goes, no catch turkey, he cunning too much.”

I never knew but one really successful turkey hunter, and as might be imagined, he was a genius. The talent that pitches into a deer or fox-hunt, argues nothing in favour of making a turkey hunter, on the contrary, it is against it, on account of the want of exercise and bustle, which to a real deer or fox-hunter, is as necessary as horses and hounds. A turkey hunter, on the contrary, must be a man possessed of the anomalous character of being very lazy, and yet very fond of rising early in the morning; he must also be a shot most unquestionable, for he can have but one as the reward for his morning exertions,-the game never waiting for a second notice to quit their feeding grounds, so as to be entirely secure for that day at least. A wild turkey hunter must also be something of a musical and imitative genius; for unless he can gobble turkey-like, so as to deceive the bird itself, he can seldom succeed. The imitation, however, is frequently perfect, and can be acquired with practice. The large bone of the turkey's wings, cut off at one end, and properly used in the mouth, will produce the plaintive sound exactly of the female, who in the mornings of the spring seems to be calling to her notice her proud lord and master, who, like most dandies, employs himself in the presence of his mistress in strutting himself poor. The hunter armed

with one of these turkey calls, and a sure rifle, starts for the woods which he knows the turkey frequents, long before the sun shows the least light in the eastern horizon; silent, and generally alone, he places himself under some previously marked tree, and waits patiently for the light. Sometimes he is fortunate in placing himself directly under a roost, and when he can discern objects, he sees his game asleep over his head; but if this is not the case, he at least finds his game in the vicinity of his hiding-place, and here concealed by brush, he listens until he hears the gobble of the morning begin. The first sound from the old gobblers the hunter answers by the plaintive note of the female, and the male bird is ready to search out a mistress with becoming gallantry. Pup, pup, lisps the hunter,-gobble, gobble, utters the proud bird, and here the interest of the hunt commences. Then is to be seen the alluring on of the gobbler, his struttings and prancings, and a thousand gallant airs for his lady love; anon, his suspicions get the better of his love, and the coward is-plainly visible, in his suddenly contracted body, and air of ready flight. The hunter warily plies his music, and the bird comes on, until the sure rifle finds him within its range, its sudden report, and the breaking of the dried brush in the bushes beyond, tells of the death throes of the bird, while his companions, frightened by the sudden noise, scatter like lightning; but frequently not until a second rifle, held by veteran hands, careens another bird over as he speeds by on the wing. Here the hunt of the day generally ends, and if success has crowned the efforts of the hunter, he feels that he has acquired game and glory enough for that day at least; and no man goes home better satisfied with himself and the world, than the successful wild turkey hunter.

New York City, July 12.

T. B. T.

A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE RACING SEASON, 1841.

BY RIDDLESWORTH.

ANOTHER year is gone-It seems but yesterday that I announced its birth, and marked its budding promise,—and now 'tis passed away; and all its varied fruits,-its fleeting momentary joys,-its dreary hours of anxiety and care,-its days of doubt and fear,-its many months of cunning machination, are numbered with the things that were. Peace to its Manes, while I record its Tales!

COVENTRY as usual opened the season with a very bad performance by half-trained horses, the frost and snow having lasted so long as to give but little time for preparation. This however proved of but little consequence, as nothing of note was "sent to Coventry."

To Coventry succeeded WARWICK, which was rendered interesting

to the favoured few, by the first appearance of the "Crack of the year," Coronation, who beat a bad field of nine easily, a performance which did little to raise him in the eyes of the public, although it established him more firmly in the estimation of his more intimate friendsin other respects Warwick suffered from the same cause which had "spoiled sport" at Coventry, viz. the want of preparation for the nags.

THE NEWMARKET CRAVEN MEETING was this year barren alike in sport and company, and might have convinced the minds of the Jockey Club of the bad policy of attenuating the Spring Meetings, instead of concentrating the Racing and the public money together into two good weeks. The Meeting itself was only remarkable for the number of imposters which it brought before the public eye, in the forms of Eringo, Potentia, Oakley, and Metternich. Eringo frightened all his opponents out of the field for the Riddlesworth, and on the strength of this easy victory (?) was heavily backed for the Derby-Potentia was thought much of for having run second to Oakley, beating Abydos, who ran a dead heat with Wahab in the "Tuesday's Riddlesworth!" -whilst Oakley himself was raised in public opinon by beating Potentia! Is not this strange reasoning? Metternich came forward in the Hundred Sovereigns Sweepstakes, D. M. against Wahab and Arundel, Eringo having paid forfeit; and Robinson landed him a winner by half a length, but what there was in this performance to justify some people's expectations, I cannot see. Scott's stable, in this meeting, set the Ball of luck rolling, which they afterwards kept up so well throughout the season,-winning their only two Races with Epirus.

The performances of Oakley in the Craven Meeting, having prepared the world for another nine days' wonder from William Edwards's stable, the FIRST SPRING MEETING brought out Ralph an easy winner of the Two Thousand Guinea Stakes,-an event which settled Eringo's pretensions in my eyes, and did the same by Metternich in the opinion of the public. I must confess, however, that in spite of William Edwards's confidence, I did not think Ralph a whit more likely to obtain a front place in the Great Epsom Show, from his performances across Newmarket Flat, and it is but poor praise to say that he was decidedly superior to every horse engaged against him in "the Two Thousand." The Palace stable was either in luck, or in force during this meeting, having won thirteen stakes, amongst which were The Two Thousand, The Column, and the Newmarket Stakes. Potentia "fixed" her friends in this meeting by winning The Thousand Guineas' Stakes in a way which surprised even her own party.

CHESTER, a capital meeting with a vile course, is always out of the ken of those Southrons who do not watch every turf movement with interested eyes-whence many events which occur here of real import

ance in the formation of a correct judgment upon the respective merits of the favourites of the day, are generally overlooked, or lightly esteemed, and to this cause I attribute the indifference attached to the first appearanceof Satirist as a winner of the Dee Stakes (a walk over) and of the Palatine Stakes, for which he beat The Tulip, Nightshade, Miss Tatt, Filly by Stumps out of Blue Bell, and the Emperor. Old Bee's-wing, of course, won her only two races, the Trial Stakes and the Stand Cup, amidst the unanimous acclamations of " the natives."

The NEWMARKET SECOND SPRING MEETING produced no race possessing the slightest public interest, and only served as a marplot to the other meetings.

That the EPSOM DERBY was this year won by the best horse in the race, no one will now presume to deny. A larger field never started for this great stake, nor, in my opinion, did ever a worse one. What horse that ran a favourite on that day has ever run well since? Van Amburgh, Ralph, Galaor, Belgrade, Marshal Soult, Potentia, Ermengardis, E. O., Sir Hans,-what were any of them worth? It is true that Coronation won his race easily, but I cannot see how such a victory could justify the odds at which he subsequently stood for the St. Leger, and his performance at Oxford, where he made strong running at 6st. 10lb.-to cut down poor old Isaac (with 8st. 11lb. on his back,) and Caravan (with 9st. 5lb.), who, at Derby weights, ran second to a lame horse, Phosphorus, and lived upon that fame, confirmed me in my opinion that too much faith had been pinned on Coronation's Derby fame.

The Oaks consoled Lord Westminster for his narrow escape in the Derby; but this race now is hardly thought of before the day, being eclipsed by the superior importance of the Derby.

The settling day at Tattersall's proved a most unsettling day,-since it originated a fermentation in the betting market, which is not yet worked off, and which has produced the most unsatisfactory results. The Managers," or " "Trustees," or (as they style themselves) the "Assignees," of Mr. Gurney, placed themselves in a situation equally novel and unfortunate. Of their upright intentions no one expressed a doubt, but their wisdom is not so universally acknowledged.

I should have passed over THE HIPPODROME meetings unnoticed, as merely evincing the bad taste of the very few individuals who gathered together at this "hill in a hole," had it not been for the race between two two-year olds much engaged in next year's meetings. I allude to the Hippodrome Paddock Stakes, won by John Day on Palladium, beating Mule. The ground was awfully deep, and had the jockeys been exchanged the event would most undoubtedly have been reversed. Ascor-Royal Ascot, this year showed a falling off as well in the quantity of the visitors as in the quality of the Racing.

The first race on the first day spoke well for the strength of Scott's stable, Flambeau beating the Knight of the Whistle with great difficulty for the Trial Plate. This strength was afterwards more satisfactorily put forth by Satirist, who kicked Her Majesty's Vase out of the reach of Llanercost, to whom it had been booked as a certainty. The Cup, however, came into his hands as a consolation for this misfortune, and should have satisfied his owner, that making a waiting race with Llanercost is only throwing away the chance of one of the stoutest horses England ever saw.

The only other events of this meeting were Welfare beating The Currier,-(no great wonder,) The Nob beating Oakley, in a manner which showed that the Glaucus had his heart in the right place;-and the first appearance of "Rosalie junior" as the winner of a Fifty sovs. Sweepstakes.

NEWCASTLE came out in a truly sporting spirit this year. Charles the Twelfth beat "the old mare" for the Craven Stakes, "having the foot of her," as the Yankees say, in a mile race, and making strong running. The Squire here gave the first indications of the promise which he afterwards realised, by the way in which he won the Newcastle St. Leger, and ran second to Calypso for the Northumberland Plate. Bee's-wing beat Calypso for the Gold Cup, and added one more item to her long list of victories.

BATH made its last appearance as a summer racecourse with two days of poor racing with bad horses. This meeting is henceforth

abolished, and numbered with the things that were.

The NEWMARKET JULY MEETING produced no events of consequence beyond furnishing first favourites for the ensuing Derby and Oaks in Colonel Peel's "Hester colt," Chatham; and Mr. Sadler's (now Mr. Etwall's) Passion. The first, after running a dead heat with the Rosalie colt for the July Stakes, beat him easily in the second race. The betting was 2 to 1 on the Stockbridge Pet," but he was upset by his first bout, and never "came again." Passion carried off the Chesterfield in first-rate style. She is a very racing-like-looking filly, but small.

The LIVERPOOL JULY MEETING produced many unexpected results, not the least surprising of which was Orelia's beating Charles the Twelfth, Calypso, Fitzroy, and a large field for the Tradesmen's Cup, by the kindness of the Handicapper, who put her in a stone too light at the least. Doctor Caius showed great improvement on his previous performances, beating Bloomsbury for the Croxteth, and Maroon for the Grosvenor Stakes.

The Liverpool Leger brought out Middleham, who would, in my opinion, have shown first on the judge's telegraph for the Great Don

NO. XIII.-VOL. III.-NEW SERIES.

G