Range, 151 



whilst she has one left to follow her. She 

 differs beside, in this particular, from the 

 industrious common hen ; she never scratches 

 for her chicks, leaving them entirely to their 

 own instinct and their own industry. On 

 these accounts, where turkies are bred to 

 any extent, and are permitted to range, it 

 is necessary to allow them a keeper. The 

 turkey hen is nevertheless extremely vigi- 

 lant and quick in the discovery of any birds 

 of prey in the air which may endanger her 

 brood, and has the faculty, by a peculiar cry, 

 of communicating her alarm, on which the 

 chicks immediately seek shelter, or squat 

 themselves upon the earth : but she will not, 

 from her timid nature, fight for her brood as 

 the common hen will. The domesticated, as 

 well as the wild turkies, run with consider- 

 able speed. 



The CHICKS must be withdrawn from the 

 nest as soon as hatched, and kept very 

 warm. It is a very old and very general 

 custom, to plunge them instantly into cold 

 water, and then give them each a whole 

 pepper-corn, with a small tea spoonfull of 



