BIRDS'-NESTS. 135 



course of a few days, the female had pro- 

 cured another mate. But naturally enough 

 the step-father showed none of the spirit 

 and pluck in defence of the brood that 

 had been displayed by the original parent. 

 When danger was nigh, he was seen afar off, 

 sailing around in placid unconcern. 



It is generally known that when either 

 the wild turkey or domestic turkey begins 

 to lay, and afterwards to sit and rear the 

 brood, she secludes herself from the male, 

 who then, very sensibly, herds with others 

 of his sex, and betakes himself to haunts of 

 his own till male and female, old and young, 

 meet again on common ground, late in the 

 fall. But rob the sitting bird of her eggs, 

 or destroy her tender young, and she imme- 

 diately sets out in quest of a male, who is 

 no laggard when he hears her call. The 

 same is true of ducks and other aquatic 

 fowls. The propagating instinct is strong, 

 and surmounts all ordinary difficulties. No 

 doubt the widowhood I had caused in the 

 case of the woodpeckers was of short dura- 

 tion, and chance brought, or the widow 

 drummed up, some forlorn male, who was 

 not dismayed by the prospect of having a 

 large family of half-grown birds on his 

 hands at the outset. 



