WILD TURKEY. 205 



This pugnacious disposition is not to be regarded as accidental, but as 

 resulting from a wise and excellent law of nature, who always studies 

 the good of the species without regard to the individuals. Did not 

 females prefer the most perfect of their species, and were not the favors 

 of beauty most willingly dispensed to the victorious, feebleness and de- 

 generacy would soon mark the animal creation : but, in consequence of 

 this general rule, the various races of animals are propagated by those 

 individuals who are not only most to be admired for external appear- 

 ance, but most to be valued for their intrinsic spirit and energy. 



"When the object of his pursuit is discovered, if the female be more 

 than one year old, she also struts and even gobbles, evincing much de- 

 sire ; she turns proudly round the strutting male, and suddenly opening 

 her wings, throws herself towards him, as if to terminate his procrasti- 

 nation, and, laying herself on the earth, receives his dilatory caresses. 

 But should he meet a young hen, his strut becomes different, and his 

 movements are violently rapid ; sometimes rising in air, he takes a 

 short circular flight, and on alighting drags his wings for a distance of 

 eight or ten paces, running at full speed, occasionally approaching the 

 timorous hen, and pressing her until she yields to his solicitations. 

 Thus are they mated for the season, though the male does not confine 

 himself exclusively to one female, nor does he hesitate to bestow his 

 attentions and endearments on several, whenever an opportunity offers. 



One or more females, thus associated, follow their favorite, and roost 

 in his immediate neighborhood, if not on the same tree, until they begin 

 to lay, when they change their mode of life, in order to save their eggs, 

 which the male uniformly breaks if in his power, that the female may 

 not be withdrawn from the gratification of his desires. At this time 

 the females shun the males during the greater part of the day : the lat- 

 ter become clumsy and careless, meet each other peacefully, and so 

 entirely cease to gobble, that the hens are obliged to court their ad- 

 vances, calling loudly and almost continually for them. The female may 

 then be observed caressing the male, and imitating his peculiar gestures, 

 in order to excite his amorousness. 



The cocks, even when on the roost, somestimes strut and gobble, but 

 more generally merely elevate the tail, and utter the puff, on which 

 the tail and other feathers suddenly subside. On light or moon-shining 

 nights, near the termination of the breeding season, they repeat this 

 action, at intervals of a few minutes, for several hours together, without 

 rising from their perches. 



The sexes then separate ; the males, being much emaciated, cease 

 entirely to gobble, retire and conceal themselves by prostrate trees, in 

 secluded parts of the forest, or in the almost impenetrable privacy of a 

 cane-brake. Rather than leave their hiding places, they suffer them- 

 selves to be approached within a short distance, when they seek safety 



