THE TURKEY. 157 



are about to lay, till they have done so. This will 

 effectually prevent the loss of a single egg, by lay- 

 ing in "a secret nest in the hedges, or woods. When 

 they roost in the open air, as is most natural to them, 

 and sometimes practised for the sake of convenience, 

 and to render the birds healthy, it is nearly impossible 

 to prevent the loss of some eggs. 



During the whole time of laying, the cock must be 

 carefully kept apart from the hen, at least in the 

 morning, when she is laying ; otherwise, if he find her 

 on the nest, he will ill-treat her, drive her away, and 

 break her , eggs. 



EGGS. 



The eggs of the turkey are larger and more length- 

 ened than those of the common domestic fowl, of dull 

 cream color, and speckled with reddish dots. They 

 ought to be taken up as soon as laid, lest the hen, which 

 is heavy and awkward in her motions, should break 

 them on returning to lay, and also to keep them from 

 being sucked by rats or skunks. They may be kept 

 in a basket, either with or without dry bran or straw, 

 hung up in a eool, dry, dark place, till the hen leaves 

 off laying, when none of them will be too old to set for 

 hatching, though, when much older, it may be doubt- 

 ful whether they will hatch at all. 



It is recommended, by some, to keep each hen's 

 eggs distinct, that they may be put under those 

 which laid them ; but this appears to be an unnecessary 

 trouble, as a hen turkey will not only successfully 

 hatch the eggs of her own species, wherever they may 

 be procured, but also those of geese, ducks, and com- 

 mon fowls. 



It does not appear from Audubon's account, that 

 the wild turkey has usually more than one brood in 

 the year, unless her eggs have been carried off or de- 

 stroyed ; and Buffon says the tame turkey lays only 

 once a year. The latter is wrong in this ; for, under 

 favorable circumstances, when well housed, fed, and 



