THK TURKEY. 147 



the females at least is ever on guard, no raven nor crow 

 then daring to invade it. While in the act of incuba- 

 tion, the hen is not readily driven from her nest by 

 the appearance of danger. A person walking care- 

 lessly along, as if taking no particular notice, may 

 pass a nest within five or six paces, the female crouch- 

 ing low to avoid observation ; but, as Mr. Audubon 

 has ascertained, if a person make his approach in a 

 stealthily searching manner, she will quit it while he 

 is yet thirty yards distant, and assuming a stately 

 gait will move away, uttering every now and then a 

 clucking note, probably hoping by this means to 

 draw off the intruder and baffle his search. We learn 

 from the same writer that the hen seldom or never 

 abandons her nest if it has been discovered by man, 

 but that if a snake or any other animal has sucked 

 any of the eggs she leaves it altogether. Under such 

 circumstances, or when the eggs have been removed, 

 she seeks the male, and recommences the preparation 

 of another nest ; but as a rule, she lays only a single 

 batch of eggs during the season. When the egg's are 

 on the eve of hatching, the female will not leave her 

 nest under any circumstances while life remains ; she 

 will even allow an enclosure to be made around her, 

 and thus be as it were imprisoned, rather than seek 

 her own safety by flight. Mr. Audubon says, " I once 

 witnessed the hatching of a brood of turkeys, which I 

 watched for the purpose of securing them, together 

 with the parent. I concealed myself on the ground 

 within a very few feet, and saw her raise herself half 

 the length of her legs, look anxiously upon the eggs, 

 cluck with a sound peculiar to the mother on such 

 occasions, carefully remove each half-empty shell, and 

 with her bill caress and dry the young birds that 

 already stood tottering and attempting to make their 

 way out of the nest. I have seen them all emerge 

 from the shell, and in a few moments after, tumble, 

 roll, and push each other forward with astonishing and 

 inscrutable instinct." 



