AMUSING INCIDENT. 231 



puss would make a struggle, and the intruding bird would 

 precipitately retreat several paces. Being ambitious to 

 follow the example of their leader, a younger bird would 

 now advance, to be frightened off in the same manner as 

 his predecessor. The turkeys seemed to regard this as 

 great fun, for as soon as one would retire, all would com- 

 mence gobbling together, as if chaffing the coward, imme- 

 diately after which all would bristle up their feathers and 

 commence a mimic attack upon each other. Half-an-hour 

 I spent watching the strange vagaries of these noble birds, 

 till I considered I had learned all their performance by 

 heart, or witnessed all the tricks that the mountebanks in- 

 tended putting into practice ; so, waiting my chance when 

 the turkeys were aligned, I killed two with my left barrel 

 and one with my right. Pussy's release now called for my 

 attention ; with the aid of my knife in a moment she was 

 free, but true to her tiger instincts, the first use she made 

 of her liberty was to fly upon one of the dead birds, and 

 attempt to rend it in pieces with teeth and claw In fact, 

 five minutes of her vindictive wrath would have soon 

 mutilated my game to such an extent as to render it unfit 

 for human food. I afterwards made trial of this discovery, 

 but never with the same success, although it invariably 

 afforded me a shot. 



If domestic turkeys are kept where wild ones abound, 

 they constantly associate together, although apparently 

 always engaged in quarrelling. This may be caused 

 through jealousy, for report states that the tame hen birds 

 much prefer the attentions of the wild cocks, and that if 

 they are not carefully watched they will stray off with their 



