THE AMERICANA CR COMMON TURKEY. 249 



else seemed to offer shelter cr protection. They even stretched them 

 selves at full length on the ground, and continued lying motionless as 

 if dead. In the meantime the mother, with her eyes directed upwards, 

 continued her cries and screaming as before. On looking up, in the 

 direction in which sh<j seemed to gaze, I discovered a black spot just 

 under the clouds, cut was unable at first to determine what it was ; 

 however, it soon appeared to be a bird of prey, though at first at too 

 great a distance to be distinguished. I have seen one of these ani- 

 mals continue in this agitated state, and her whole brood pinned down 

 as it were to the ground, for four hours together; whilst their for- 

 midable foe has taken his circuits, has mounted, and hovered directly 

 over their heads: at last, upon his disappearing, the parent changed 

 her note, and sent forth another cry, which in an instant gave life to 

 the whole trembling tribe, and they all flocked around her with ex- 

 pressions of pleasure, as if conscious of their happy escape from 

 danger." 



Josselyn says that he has eaten part of a Turkey-cock which, after 

 it was plucked and the entrails were taken out, weighed thirty pounds. 

 Lawson, whose authority is unquestionable, saw half a Turkey serve 

 eight hungry men for t\vo meals, and says that he had seen others 

 which he believed would each weigh forty pounds. Some writers 

 assert that instances have occurred of Turkeys weighing sixty pounds. 



The females lay their eggs in spring, generally in some retired 

 and obscure place; for the cock, enraged at the loss of his mate 

 \vhile she is employed in hatching, is apt otherwise to break them. 

 They sit on their eggs with so much perseverance, that if not taken 

 away, they will sometimes perish with hunger rather than leave the 

 nest. They are exceedingly affectionate to their offspring. 



In a wild state Turkeys are gregarious ; and associate in flocks, 

 consisting sometimes of more than five hundred. They frequent the 

 great swamps of America to roost; but they leave these at sun-rise, 

 to repair to the dry woods in search of acorns and berries. They 

 perch on trees, and gain the height they wish by rising from bough to 

 bough ; and they generally mount to the summits of even the loftiest 

 trees, so as to be beyond musket-shot. They run very swiftly, but 

 they fly awkardly ; and about the month of March they become so fat 

 that they cannot fly beyond three or four hundred yards, and are then 

 easily run down by a horseman. 



It is seldom indeed that wild Turkeys are now seen in the inhabited 

 parts of America ; and they are only found in great numbers, in the 

 distant and most unfrequented parts. If the eggs of wild Turkeys be 

 hatched under the tame birds, the offspring are said still to retain a 

 certain degree of wild ness, and to perch separate from the others ; yet 

 they will mix and breed together in the season. 



The Indians make an elegant clothing of the feathers of Turkeys. 

 Thy twist the inner webs into a strong double string with hemp, or 

 <vith the inner bark of the mulberry -tree, and work it like matting. 

 This appears very rich and glossy, and as fine as silk shag. The 

 natives of Louisiana make fans of the tail ; and of four tails joined 

 together, the French used formerly to construct a parasoL 



