THE TURKEY. 129 



fully, as to make it extremely difficult, even for one 

 who has watched her movements, to indicate the 

 exact spot ; hence few nests are found, and these 

 are generally discovered by fortuitously starting the 

 female from them, or by the appearance of broken 

 shells, scattered around by some cunning lynx, fox, 

 or crow. When laying or sitting, the turkey hen is 

 not readily driven from her post by the approach of 

 apparent danger; but, if an enemy appears, she 

 crouches as low as possible, and suffers it to pass. 

 A circumstance related by Mr Audubon will shew 

 how much intelligence they display on such occa- 

 sions ; having discovered a sitting hen, he remarked 

 that, by assuming a careless air, whistling, or talking 

 to himself, he was permitted to pass within five or 

 six feet of her ; but, if he advanced cautiously, she 

 would not suffer him to come within twenty paces, 

 .but ran off twenty or thirty yards with her tail ex- 

 panded, when, assuming a stately gait, she paused on 

 every step, occasionally uttering a chuck. They 

 seldom abandon their nests on account of being dis- 

 covered by man ; but should a snake, or any other 

 animal, suck one of the eggs, the parent leaves them 

 altogether. If the eggs be removed, she again seeks 

 the male, and recommences laying, though otherwise 

 she lays but one nest of eggs during the season. 

 Several turkey hens sometimes associate, perhaps for 

 mutual safety, deposit their eggs in the same nest, 

 and rear their broods together. Mr Audubon once 

 found three females sitting on forty-two eggs. ID 



