232 GAME. 



extremely ingenious in selecting its hiding place. She 

 leaves the flock daily to deposit an egg, until she has 

 twelve or fifteen. Then commences the work of incu- 

 bation. As soon as the hen commences to sit, the cocks 

 cease their quarrels and collect together in amicable 

 companionship. 



It is said that the cocks will kill the young ; at any 

 rate, the hen keeps the brood away from them until the 

 young birds are nearly grown. In the fall all collect 

 together, sometimes in incredible numbers. I have seen 

 flocks which I am quite sure contained several hundred 

 birds. 



They frequent the valleys of streams along which 

 is a fringe of heavy trees, on the branches of which they 

 roost at night. They are very choice in their selection 

 of a roosting place, preferring a dense mass of trees not 

 far from a bluff bank, from the top of which they can 

 easily pitch into the branches. The turkey flies strongly 

 and well, but his great weight makes it difficult for him 

 to rise from the ground ; consequently, he takes the 

 wing very reluctantly. I have known a flock remain for 

 several hours on the bank of a stream fifty or sixty yards 

 wide, and which it wished to cross, running up and down 

 the bank, piping loudly, and making constant feints of 

 efforts. When one dares to fly over, all the others follow 

 rapidly and easily. Every one who has kept tame 

 turkeys must have noticed the dilatory and ridiculous 

 performances attendant on getting to roost each night. 



Though each has roosted on the same branch for 

 months and knows exactly the best way to get to it, he 

 will go round and round the tree, noting each branch and 

 favourable alighting place with critical eye, and seemingly 

 intent on finding some new way to arrive at the old end. 

 Now he thinks he has found if, squats and almost stretches 

 out his wings, when he thinks better of it, and walks on to 

 do the same thing over and over again. The wild turkey 

 has the same peculiarity and makes as much c to-do ' 



