THE WILD TURKEY. 21 



All tliis clamor and parading is supposed to be for the 

 purpose of screwing their courage up to the highest 

 sticking-point, and of cheering each other to undertake 

 the passage across the treacherous water. 



When their bravery has been raised to the utmost pos- 

 sible pitch, they mount on the trees, and, at a signal 

 from their leader, launch themselves into the air and fly 

 for the opposite shore. If the river is wide, some of 

 them fall into it, but on touching it they spread the tail 

 in the form of a fan, bring the wings close to the body, 

 and, plying their strong legs in the most vigorous man- 

 ner, swim rapidly for the land. 



If the bank is not very steep they may be able to sur- 

 mount it, but if it is many of them are drowned, as their 

 eiforts in the water exhaust them in a short time. The 

 first to succumb are the weakest of the young broods, 

 and then the decrepit veterans, whose vehement gobbling 

 proves that they are better vocalists than athletes, and 

 that they have more courage than discretion. 



When the birds cross a river of any magnitude they 

 become so bewildered that they fall an easy prey to 

 sportsmen and predaceous animals, for they seem to lose 

 all their natural caution and cunning. If they find food 

 abundant in their new quarters they separate into small 

 droves, which are composed of all ages and sexes, and 

 remain together until the following spring, when they 

 disperse, preparatory to mating. 



They become so daring as to enter a farm-yard some- 

 times, and to indulge in contests with their domesticated 

 congeners, if the latter do not acknowledge their physi- 

 cal supremacy. Yet they often get along amicably to- 

 gether, and even "take each other for better or worse" 

 in the pairing period, but, as a rule, the wild birds pre- 

 fer to confine their conjugal relations to themselves. 



The combativeness of a domestic gobbler and his 

 hatred of red and crimson colors are well known; yet 



