264 CASSKLL'S 1500K OF BIRDS. 



around them with silent wing. " This, however," says Audubon, " is rarely done without being 

 discovered ; a single cluck Irom one ot' the party announces the approach of the murderer. They 

 instantly start upon their legs and watch the motions of the Owl, which, selecting one as its victim, 

 comes down upon it like an arrow, and would inevitably secure the prize, did not the latter at that 

 moment lower its head, stoop, and spread its tail in an inverted manner over its back, so that the 

 aggressor is met by a smooth inclined plane, along which it glances without hurting the Turkey j 

 immediately after which the latter drops to the ground, and thus escapes merely with the loss of a few 

 feathers." 



Turkeys are hunted in all parts of America with ardour, but always in moderation. They are 

 shot at pairing-time, and also when at roost; but they are most commonly caught in pens, in a manner 

 thus described by Audubon : — 



" Young trees, of four or five inches in diameter, are cut down and divided into pieces of the 

 length of twelve or fourteen feet. Two of these are laid on the ground parallel to each other, 

 at a distance of ten or twelve feet. Two others are laid across the ends of these at right angles 

 to them, and in this manner successive layers are added until the fabric is raised to the height of about 

 four feet. It is then covered with similar pieces of wood, placed three or four inches apart, and 

 loaded with one or two heav}' logs to render the whole firm. "J'his done, a trench about eighteen 

 inches in depth and width is cut under one side of the cage, into which it opens slantingly and rather 

 abruptly. It is continued on its outside to some distance, so as gradually to attain the level of the 

 surrounding ground. Over the part of this trench within the pen, and close to the wall, some sticks 

 are placed so as to form a kind of bridge about a foot in breadth. The trap being now finished, the 

 o\vner places a quantity of Indian corn in its centre, as well as in the trench ; and as he walks ofT, 

 drops here and there a few grains in the woods, sometimes to the distance of a mile. This is repeated 

 at every visit to the trap after the Turkeys have found it. No sooner has a Turkey discovered 

 the train of com than it communicates the circumstance to the flock by a cluck, when all of them 

 come up, and searching for the grains scattered about, at length come upon the trench, which they 

 follow, squeezing themselves one after another through the passage under the bridge. In this manner 

 the whole flock sometimes enters, but more commonly six or seven only, as they are alarmed by the 

 least noise, even the cracking of a tree in frosty weather. Those witiiin having gorged themselves, 

 raise their heads, and try to force their way through the top or sides of the pen, passing and repassing 

 on the bridge, but never for a moment looking down or attempting to escape by the passage by which 

 they entered. Thus they remain until the owner of the trap arriving closes the trench and secures 

 his captives. I have heard of eighteen Turkeys having been caught in this manner at a single visit 

 to the trap." 



When Turkeys are abundant, the owners sometimes neglect to visit their traps, and the poor 

 prisoners are starved for want of food, for they never retrace their steps along the trench, as they might 

 readily do, and thus regain their liberty. 



The AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE FOWLS (MegapodincB) form a group of Australian birds, 

 distinguished from all their feathered brethren by the strange manner in which their broods are 

 incubated. For this process mounds of grass and earth are erected by the parents to receive their 

 unusually large eggs, which are hatched by means of the heat engendered by the decaying vegetable 

 matter. The young do not quit the shell until they are fully fledged and capable of supporting 

 themselves. Gould is of opinion that this singular way of incubating the eggs, and the very small 

 size of their brain, indicate that the Megapodiim hold but a low place in the scale of intelligence. 

 Naturalists are much at variance concerning the systematic position of these birds, but in our 



