142 THE TURKEY. 



ruginous down, which disappears as the bird advances 

 in age. 



The weight of the hen averages about 9 Ibs., but 

 the males far exceed the females, and differ consider- 

 ably in bulk and weight. " From the accounts," says 

 Bonaparte, " which I have received from various parts of 

 the Union, 15 or 20 Ibs. may be considered a fair state- 

 ment of their medium weight ; but birds of 30 Ibs. are 

 not very rare, and I have ascertained the existence of 

 some weighing 40 Ibs." Mr. Audubon saw one in the 

 Louisville Market that weighed 36 Ibs. The pectoral 

 appendage of this bird measured more than a foot in 

 length. 



The wild turkey is a noble bird, far exceeding its do- 

 mestic relative both in size and beauty. Crosses, 

 however, in this country, often take place between the 

 wild and tame race, and are highly valued, both for 

 external qualities and for the table. Indeed, in dis- 

 tricts where this bird is common, such crosses are very 

 frequent, the wild male driving away its domestic rival, 

 and usurping the sultanship of the seraglio. 



Eggs of the wild turkey have been frequently taken 

 from their nests, and hatched under the tame hen. 

 The young preserve a portion of their uncivilized na- 

 ture, and exhibit some knowledge of the difference 

 between themselves and their fostermother, roosting 

 apart from the tame ones, and in other respects show- 

 ing the force of hereditary disposition. 



The domesticated young reared from the eggs of the 

 wild turkey are often employed as decoy birds to those 

 in a state of nature. Mr. William Bloom, of Clear- 

 field, Pennsylvania, caught five of six wild turkeys 

 when quite chickens, and succeeded in rearing them. 

 Although sufficiently tame to feed with his other tur- 

 keys, and generally associate with them, yet they al- 

 ways retained some of the original propensities, roosting 

 by themselves, and higher than the tame birds, gen- 

 erally on the top of some tree or of the house. They 

 were also more readily alarmed. On the approach of 



