16 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTBR. 



wary game, which, in its care of preservation, flies as 

 swiftly before the imaginary, as before the real danger. 



Often, indeed, is the morning's work destroyed by 

 the cracking of a decayed limb, under the nimble spring 

 of the squirrel. The deer and timid antelope will stop 

 to gratify curiosity ; the hare scents the air for an in- 

 stant, when alarmed, before it dashes ofi" ; but the turkey 

 never speculates, never wonders ; suspicion of danger, 

 prompts it to immediate flight, as quickly as a reality. 



The implements of the turkey-hunter are few and 

 simple ; the " call," generally made of the large bone of 

 the turkey's wing, or a small piece of wood, into which is 

 driven a nail, and a small piece of oil stone (the head 

 of the nail on being quickly scraped on the stone, pro- 

 ducing perfectly the noise of the female turkey), and a 

 double-barrel fowling-piece, complete the list. A rifle 

 is used where the game is plentiful ; and the person using 

 it, as we have already described, depends upon the saga- 

 city and speed of the dog, to rescue the wounded bird, 

 for the turkey never instantly dies, except wounded in 

 the brain. 



Where turkeys are plentiful and but little hunted, 

 unskilful persons succeed in killing them ; of such hunt^ 

 ers we shall not speak. 



The bird changes its habits somewhat with its 

 haunts, growing wilder as it is most pursued ; it may, 

 therefore, be said to be the wildest of game. Gaining 

 in wisdom according to the necessity, it is a diiferent 



