THE WILD TUKKET. 17 



it were very sorry to have been compelled to do such a 

 deed, but could not help it, owing to the force of circum- 

 stances; yet I have seen the winner of a tournament in 

 such a rage that it not only killed its rival, but pecked 

 out its eyes after it Avas dead. 



When the victors have won their brides, they keep to- 

 gether until the latter commence laying, and then sepa- 

 rate, for the males are so jealous that they would destroy 

 the eggs if they could, in order to prolong the love 

 period, and the hens, knowing this, carefully shun 

 them. The males are often followed by more than one 

 hen, but they are not so polygamous as their domestic 

 congeners, as I never heard of a gobbler having more 

 than two or three females under his protection. 



The adult gobblers drive the young males away during 

 the erotic season, and will not even permit them to gob- 

 ble if they can, so that the latter are obliged to keep by 

 themselves, generally in parties of from six to ten, unless 

 some of the veterans are killed, and then they occupy 

 the vacated places of the bridegrooms, according to the 

 order of their prowess. 



Some aged males may also be found wandering through 

 the woods in parties of two, three, four, or five, but they 

 seldom mingle with the flocks, owing, apparently, to the 

 waning of their salacious disposition. They are exceed- 

 ingly shy and vigilant, and so wild that they fly imme- 

 diately from an imaginary danger created by their own 

 suspicious nature. They strut and gobble occasionally, 

 but not near so much as their younger kindred. Barren 

 hens, which also keep by themselves, are almost as dem- 

 onstrative in displaying their vocal powers, airs, and 

 feathers as the old males, whereas they are exceedingly 

 coy and unpretentious when fertile. 



This fact would seem to prove that ordinary animal 

 nature is changed by circumstances. When the love 

 season is over, the males are very much emaciated, so, 



