

THE WILD TURKEY 299 



"We were encamped quite near the nest ; one morn- 

 ing I noticed a hen turkey stealing through the bushes 

 and suspected she was going to her nest. We watched 

 her carefully for three mornings, and having pretty 

 nearly located the nest, commenced a close search, 

 and examined, as we thought, every inch of ground. I 

 was about giving up, when looking down almost at my 

 feet, I saw the bird sitting on the nest. She at once 

 ran; she had allowed me to pass several times within 

 a foot of her without moving, and seemed to know at 

 once when she was seen. I have often noticed this 

 trait in birds of this genus; as long as unseen you 

 can tramp all around them, but they seem to know 

 at once when they are seen and lose no time in getting 

 away." 



As long as the hiding bird, which sees and hears its 

 pursuer, is convinced that he is still ignorant of its 

 position, it feels safe, but the moment it recognizes by 

 the expression of the man's eye that its hiding place has 

 been detected, it is off without delay. 



The eggs of the wild turkey are not at all unlike 

 those of the domestic bird. Usually they are cream- 

 colored, dotted with finer or larger spots of reddish 

 brown, chocolate and sometimes lavender. Captain 

 Bendire states that the spots are more often very 

 small and fine than large. 



The young follow the mother as soon as hatched, but 

 Audubon says, "As the hatching generally takes place 

 in the afternoon they frequently return to the nest to 

 spend the first night there." 



