374 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



highest undulated grounds, the mother dreading 

 rainy weather, which is extremely dangerous to 

 the young in this tender state, when they are 

 only covered with a kind of soft hairy down of 

 surprising delicacy. In very rainy seasons turkeys 

 are scarce, for, if once completely wetted, the 

 young seldom recover. To prevent the disastrous 

 effects of rainy weather, the mother, like a skilful 

 physician, plucks the buds of the spice-wood bush ? 

 and gives them to her young. In about a fort- 

 night the young birds, which had previously 

 rested on the ground, leave it, and fly at night to 

 some very large low branch, where they place 

 themselves under the deeply-curved wings of their 

 kind and careful parent, dividing themselves for 

 that purpose into two nearly equal parties." * 



All the actions of a bird in the rearing of 

 her family are, in certain families, well typified 

 in the conduct of our common fowls. No one 

 can watch a brood-hen, leading her little troop 

 of chirping young ones down the farm-yard, or 

 into the stubble-field, or now and then, unfortu- 

 nately for the florist, across the parterres, and 

 amid the choicest flowers, without feeling that 

 * Ornithological Biography, vol. i. 



