THE TURKEY. 301 



would follow any person who called it, and was the favourite 

 of the little village. Yet it would never roost with the tame 

 turkeys; but regularly betook itself at night to the roof of 

 the house, where it remained till dawn. When two years 

 old it began to fly to the woods, where it remained for a 

 considerable part of the day, and returned to the enclosure 

 as night approached. It continued this practice until the 

 following spring, when I saw it several times fly from its 

 roosting-place to the top of a high cotton-tree on the bank 

 of the Ohio, from which, after resting a little, it would sail 

 to the opposite shore, the river being there nearly half a 

 mile wide, and return towards night. One morning I saw it 

 fly off, at a very early hour, to the woods in another direction, 

 and took no particular notice of the circimistance. Several 

 days elapsed, but the bird did not return. I was going 

 towards some lakes near Green River, to shoot, when, having 

 walked about five miles, I saw a fine large gobbler cross the 

 path before me, moving leisurely along. Turkeys being then 

 in prime condition for the table, I ordered my dog to chase 

 it and put it up. The animal went off with great rapidity, 

 and as it approached the turkey, I saw, with great surprise, 

 that the latter paid little attention. Juno was on the point 

 of seizing it, when she suddenly stopped, and turned her 

 head towards me. I hastened to them; but you may easily 

 conceive my surprise when I saw my own favourite bird, 

 and discovered that it had recognised the dog, and would 

 not fly from it, although the sight of a strange dog would 

 have caused it to run off at once. A firiend of mine, being 

 in search of a wounded deer, took the bird on his saddle 

 before him, and carried it home for me. The following 

 spring it was accidentally shot, having been taken for a. wild 

 bird, and brought to me, on being recognised by the red 

 ribband which it had round its neck." 



Sitting The male Turkey is said to be but an indifferent 



Turkey Oooka. father, but there are some curious illustrations 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



