THE WILD TURKEY. 179 



same nest in beautiful harmony, and, being thus intimately asso- 

 ciated, pursue their maternal duties in perfect congeniality and in- 

 creased security from the attacks of wild animals, birds of prey, or 

 lurking serpents. Audubon mentions having discovered three sit- 

 ting on forty-two eggs. 



When on the nest, the hen is noiseless as death itself, but 

 watchful as her keen vision and acute hearing can possibly 

 make her; and with equal sagacity, though trembling with 

 terror for the safety of herself and eggs, will permit the uncon- 

 scious intruder to pass within a few paces of her, without moving 

 from her seat. 



When the full period of incubation is drawing to a close, the 

 hen will not leave the nest under any contingency ; she will rather 

 sacrifice her own life than abandon the offspring just about burst- 

 ing into existence. Indeed, so resolute is she in her nearly-accom- 

 plished purpose that, Audubon states, she will even allow an en- 

 closure to be built around her, rather than forsake them at this 

 critical juncture ! 



How marvellous, how powerful, how impressive the instinct 

 which thus sways the actions of an otherwise timid, cautious, and 

 wary bird, that under ordinary circumstances takes alarm at the 

 slightest token of danger, not only fleeing the presence of man, but 

 driven into precipitate flight at the very sound of his voice ! 



Wet weather and low, moist grounds are very detrimental to the 

 well-being of the young turkeys ; insomuch that an inclement spell, 

 about the period of hatching, is very destructive to the tender 

 brood. The hen at such seasons, doubly solicitous for the preserva- 

 tion of her sensitive offspring, seeks the high, dry grounds, and, 

 further to ward off the ill effects resulting from exposure to rain, 

 Audubon tells us that she, with instinctive ingenuity, feeds them 

 upon the buds of the spicewood-bush. 



The young continue to nestle on the ground for two or three 

 weeks ; they are then sufficiently strong to take to the low limbs 

 of trees, where they roost under the wide-extended wings of their 

 ever-anxious parent. The plumage of the young bird grows with 



