THE WILD TURKEY. 115 



mating season, while paying court to the female, are similar to those of the 

 domestic Turkey, and well enough known to need no description. 



The nesting season, in the southern portion of their range, begins some- 

 times as early as the middle of February, and later northward, where fresh 

 eggs are occasionally found up to the middle of June. It is more than prob- 

 able that in such late sets the first eggs were destroyed. The number of eggs 

 to a set varies from ten to fourteen, eleven and twelve being most often found. 

 The nests are usually well concealed, a favorite site being near old stumps 

 surrounded by a dense mass of vines and bushes in bottom lands. Occasion- 

 ally an exposed situation is also selected. 



Capt, William L. Carpenter, U. S. Army, found such a nest on May 1, 

 1880, near the present site of Fort Niobrara, Nebraska, containing at that time 

 seven eggs. It was a simple affair, on a grassy hillside, in an exposed posi- 

 tion, and lined with dead grass, very much like that of the Sharp-tailed Grouse. 

 On May 20, it contained eleven eggs, and on June 1 another visit was paid, 

 when only the vacant nest and broken shells remained. 



Bvt. Maj. S. L. Woodward, Tenth Cavalry, U. S. Army, sent me a set 

 of eggs of this species, collected near Onion Creek, Archer County, Texas. 

 This nest was found in the high grass, well protected from observation, near 

 some rain-water holes, several hundred yards from Onion Creek. Happening 

 to stroll close to the nest the hen flew off, and was thus discovered. It con- 

 tained six perfectly fresh eggs on May 7. 



Mr. J. A. Singley writes me: " The hen leaves and approaches the nest 

 invariably by the same route, and remembering this I trailed one to its nest. 

 There really was no nest. A dead blackjack-oak top had fallen, the wind 

 had drifted the leaves up against it, and the eggs were laid on the leaves. I 

 found this nest in a thicket, inside of an inclosure, on April 20. It contained 

 eight eggs." 



Sometimes two hens lay in the same nest, and an extraordinarily large set 

 of eggs is the result. Mr. Greorge E. Beyer, of New Orleans, Louisiana, writes 

 me as follows: "On May 25, 1888, I found a nest with twenty-six eggs; one 

 hen sitting on the nest and one standing by. I think both hens kept the same 

 nest. In piney woods they like to build near old pine stumps, as the latter 

 are generally surrounded by a growth of gallberry bushes. The nest is 

 composed of leaves and pine straw. Our swamp Turkeys like to build in 

 hammock lands, near old and disused fields, in blackberry or scrubby post-oak 

 thickets." 



The call notes of the Wild Turkey resemble those of the domesticated 

 bird very much; still they differ somewhat. In feeding, their usual note is 

 "quitt, quitt" or "pit, pit." When calling each other it is "keow, keow, kee, 

 kee, keow, keow," and a note uttered when alarmed suddenly sounds some- 

 what like "cut-cut." 



Usually but one brood is raised a season, but Mr. J. S. Cairns, of Weaver- 

 ville, North Carolina, suspects that a second brood is occasionally raised, 



