68 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



abundance. Savage man seems to find a de- 

 light in precarious possession. A great part 

 of the pleasures of the chase lies in the un- 

 certainty of the pursuit, and he is unwilling 



the farmhouses as to enter the stables and corn-cribs, in 

 search of food ; in this way they pass the autumn, and 

 part of the winter. During this season great numbers 

 are killed by the inhabitants, who preserve them in a 

 frozen state, in order to transport them to a distant 

 market. 



Early in March they begin to pair; and, for a short 

 time previous, the females separate from, and shun their 

 mates, though the latter pertinaciously follow them, ut- 

 tering their gobbling note. The sexes roost apart, but 

 at no great distance, so that, when the female utters a 

 call, every male within hearing responds, rolling note 

 after note, in the most rapid succession ; not as when 

 spreading the tail and strutting near the hen, but in a 

 voice resembling that of the tame turkey, when he hears 

 any unusual or frequently repeated noise. Where the 

 turkeys are numerous, the woods from one end to the 

 other, sometimes for hundreds of miles, resound with 

 this remarkable voice of their wooing, uttered respon- 

 sively from their roosting places. This is continued for 

 about an hour; and, on the rising of the sun, they 

 silently descend from their perches, and the males begin 

 to strut, for the purpose of winning the admiration of 

 their mates. 



If the call be given from the ground, the males in 

 the vicinity fly towards the individual, and, whether 

 they perceive her or not, erect and spread their tails, 

 throw the head backwards, distend the comb and wattles, 

 strut pompously, and rustle their wings and body fea- 

 thers, at the same moment ejecting a pufl' of air from 

 the lungs. Whilst thus occupied, they occasionally halt 

 to look out for the female, and then resume their strut- 

 ting and puffing, moving with as much rapidity as the 

 nature of their gait will admit. During this ceremoni- 

 ous approach, the males often encounter each other, and 

 desperate battles ensue, when the conflict is only termi- 

 nated by the flight or death of the vanquished. 



This pugnacious disposition is not to be regarded as 

 accidental, but as resulting from a wise and excellent 

 law of nature, who always studies the good of the spe- 

 cies, without regard to the individuals. Did not females 

 prefer the most perfect of their species, and were not 

 the favours of beauty most willingly dispensed to the 

 victorious, feebleness and degeneracy would soon mark 

 the animal creation ; but, in consequence of this general 

 rule, the various races of animals are propagated by 

 those individuals who are not only most to be admired 

 for external appearance, but most to be valued for their 

 intrinsic spirit and energy. 



When the object of his pursuit is discovered, if the 

 female be more than one year old, she also struts, and 

 even gobbles, evincing much desire ; she turns proudly 

 round the strutting male, and suddenly opening her 

 wings, throws herself towards him, as if to terminate 

 his procrastination, and, laying herself on the earth, re- 

 ceives his dilatory caresses. But should he meet a 

 young hen, his strut becomes different, and his move- 

 ments are violently rapid ; sometimes rising in air, he 

 takes a short circular flight, and on alighting drags his 

 wings for a distance of eight or ten paces, running 

 at full speed, occasionally approaching the timorous 

 hen, and pressing her, until she yields to his solicita- 

 tions. Thus are they mated for the season, though 

 the male does not confine himself exclusively to one 

 female, nor does he hesitate to bestow his attentions 

 and endearments on several, whenever an opportunity 

 offers. 



One or more females, thus associated, follow their 

 favourite, and roost in his immediate neighbourhood, if 



to abridge himself in any accidental success 

 that may attend his fatigues. The hunting 

 the turkey, therefore, makes one of his prin- 

 cipal diversions ; as its flesh contributes chiefly 



not on the same tree, until they begin to lay, when they 

 change their mode of life, in order to save their eggs, 

 which the male uniformly breaks if in his power, that 

 the female may not be withdrawn from the gratification 

 of his desires. At this time the females shun the males 

 during the greater part of the day ; the latter become 

 clumsy and careless, meet each other peacefully, and so 

 entirely cease to gobble, that the hens are obliged to 

 court their advances, calling loudly and almost continu- 

 ally for them. The female may then be observed caress- 

 ing the male, and imitating his peculiar gestures, in 

 order to excite his amorousness. 



The cocks, even when on the roost, sometimes strut 

 and gobble, but more generally merely elevate the tail, 

 and utter the puff, on which the tail and other fea- 

 thers suddenly subside. On light or moonshirn'ng 

 nights, near the termination of the breeding season, 

 they repeat this action, at intervals of a few minutes, 

 for several hours together, without rising from their 

 perches. 



The sexes then separate ; the males, being much ema- 

 ciated, cease entirely to gobble, retire and conceal them- 

 selves by prostrate trees, in secluded parts of the forest, 

 or in the almost impenetrable privacy of a cane-brake. 

 Rather than leave their hiding places, they suffer them- 

 selves to be approached within a short distance, when 

 they seek safety in their speed of foot ; at this season, 

 however, they are of no value to the hunter, being 

 meagre and covered with ticks. By thus retiring, using 

 very little exercise, and feeding on peculiar grasses, they 

 recover their flesh and strength, and when this object 

 is attained, again congregate, and recommence their 

 rambles. 



About the middle of April, when the weather is dry, 

 the female selects a proper place in which to deposit her 

 eggs, secured from the encroachment of water, and, as 

 far as possible, concealed from the watchful eye of the 

 crow: this crafty bird espies the hen going to her nest, 

 and having discovered the precious deposit, waits for 

 the absence of the parent, and removes every one of the 

 eggs from the spot, that he may devour them at leisure. 

 The nest is placed on the ground, either on a dry ridge, 

 in the fallen top of a dead leafy tree, under a thicket of 

 sumach or briars, or by the side of a log: it is of a very 

 simple structure, being composed of a few dried leaves. 

 In this receptacle the eggs are deposited, sometimes to 

 the number of twenty, but more usually from nine to 

 fifteen ; they are whitish, spotted with reddish brown, 

 like those of the domestic bird. 



The female always approaches her nest with great 

 caution, varying her course so as rarely to reach it 

 twice by the same route ; and, on leaving her charge, 

 she is very careful to cover the whole with dry leaves, 

 with which she conceals it so artfully, as to mak" it ex- 

 tremely 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 fortuit- 

 ously starting the female from them, or by the appear- 

 ance 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 show how 

 much intelligence they display on such occasions: hav- 

 ing discovered a sitting hen, he remarked that, by as- 

 suming 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 sutler him 



