620 HABITS OF THE TURKEY. 



Admirable descriptions of the Turkey when wild are given by Audubon and other 

 writers, and their narratives must be condensed very briefly in consequence of our rapidly 

 decreasing space. 



The Turkey is spread over many parts of America, such as the wooded parts of 

 Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Indiana, &c. but does not seem to extend beyond the 

 Rocky Mountains. It begins to mate about the middle of February, and the males then 

 acquire those ludicrous gobbling sounds which have caused the bird to be called Gobbler, 

 or Bubbling- Jock by the whites, and Oocoocoo by the Cherokees. In Persia, a pair of these 

 birds, who had wandered there in some strange manner, were thought to speak very good 

 Arabic, though the particular dialect was beyond the comprehension of the hearers. 



The female makes her nest in some secluded spot, and is very guarded in her 

 approaches, seldom employing the same path twice in succession ; and if discovered 

 using various wiles by which to draw the intruder from the spot. As soon as the young 

 are hatched she takes them under her charge, and the whole family go wandering about 

 to great distances, at first returning to the nest for the night, but afterwards crouching in 

 any suitable spot. Marshy places are avoided by the Turkey, as wet is fatal to the young 

 birds until they have attained their second suit of clothes, and wear feathers instead 

 of down. When they are about a fortnight old they are able to get up into trees, and 

 roost in the branches, safe from most of the numerous enemies which beset their path 

 through life. 



The great horned owl is, however, still able and willing to snatch them from the 

 branches, and would succeed oftener in its attempts, were it not baffled by the instinctive 

 movements of the Turkey. Even the slight rustling of the owl's wings sets the watchful 

 Turkeys on the alert, and with anxious eyes they note his movements as he sails dark and 

 lethal over them in the moonbeams, his large lambent eyeballs glowing with opalescent 

 light; a feathered Azrael impending over them, and with fearful deliberation selecting 

 his victim. Suddenly the stoop is made, but the intended victim is ready for the assault ; 

 ducks down its head, flattens its tail over its back, and the owl, striking upon this 

 improvised shield, finds no hold for his claws, and slides off his prey like water from a 

 duck's back. The whole flock drop from the boughs, and are safely hidden among 

 the dark underwood before their enemy has recovered himself and renewed the attack. 



The lynx is a terrible foe to the Turkeys, bounding suddenly among them, and as they 

 hastily rise into the air to seek the shelter of the branches, the lynx leaps upwards and 

 strikes them down with his ready paw just as a cat knocks down sparrows on the wing. 

 Various other animals and birds persecute the inoffensive Turkey throughout its existence, 

 but its worst enemy is the featherless biped. Snares of wonderful construction, traps, and 

 " pens," are constantly employed for the capture of this valuable bird ; the " pen " being 

 so simple and withal so ingenious, that it merits a short description. 



A little square hut is made of logs, without window or door. A trench is cut in the 

 ground, some ten or twelve feet in length, passing under the wall of the hut and termin- 

 ating in its centre. A kind of bridge of flattened logs or sticks is then laid across the 

 trench in the interior of the hut, close to the wall. The roof is then laid, and the pen is 

 complete. Its mode of action is as follows. A quantity of corn is strewn in the pen and 

 along the trench, and is sparingly scattered at intervals so as to lead the Turkeys to the 

 trench. When they see the corn they follow it up, feeding as they go, and finding that 

 the trench is so well supplied, they traverse its length and pass into the pen. There is no 

 trap-door to prevent them from escaping, neither is there need of it. As is the custom of 

 trapped birds in general, they walk round the walls of their prison, trying to find a hole 

 at which to escape, and peering anxiously through the interstices between the logs. 

 When they come to the trench, they never think of going out by the way that they 

 entered, but keeping close against the wall, they walk over the little bridge and re- 

 commence their tour. In this way great numbers of Turkeys are taken annually. 



The Turkey is a very migratory bird, passing over great distances, and retaining the 

 habit in its tamed state, giving no small amount of trouble to the poultry owner. In 

 describing one of these migrations, Audubon speaks as follows : 



