94 THE TURKEY. 



moving silently around. At length the assembled multi- 

 tude mount to the tops of the highest trees, whence, at a 

 signal note from the leader, the whole together wing their 

 way towards the opposite shore. Immediately after these 

 birds have succeeded in crossing a river, they for some 

 time ramble about without any apparent unanimity of pur- 

 pose, and a great many are destroyed by the hunters, 

 though they are then least valuable. 



When the turkeys have arrived in their land of abun- 

 dance, they disperse in small flocks, composed of individ- 

 uals of all ages and sexes, intermingled, who devour all 

 the mast as they advance : this occurs about the middle 



of November. It has been observed that after these \on<* 



o 



journeys the turkeys become so familiar as to venture on 

 the plantations, and even approach so near the farm-houses 

 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 inhab- 

 itants, who preserve them in a frozen state, in order to 

 transport them to a distant market. 



Early in March they begin to pair. The sexes roost 

 apart, but at no great distance, so that when the female 

 utters a call, every male within hearing responds, rolling 

 note for 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, some- 

 times for hundreds of miles, resound with this remarkable 

 noise, uttered responsively 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, as if to win the admiration of 

 their mates. Their process of approach to the females is 

 remarkably pompous and ceremonious ; and, in its course, 

 the males often encounter one another, and desperate bat- 





