48 THE WILD TURKEY. 



state, when they are only covered by a kind of soft hairy down, of sur- 

 prising delicacy. In very rainy seasons, Turkeys are scarce, for if once 

 completely wetted, the young seldom recover. To prevent the disastrous 

 effects of rainy weather, the mother, like a skilful physician, plucks the buds 

 of the spice-wood bush, and gives them to her young. 



In about a fortnight, the young birds, which had previously rested on the 

 ground, leave it and fly, at night, to some very large low branch, where 

 they place themselves under the deeply curved wings of their kind and 

 careful parent, dividing themselves for that purpose into two nearly equal 

 parties. After this, they leave the woods during the day, and approach the 

 natural glades or prairies, in search of strawberries, and subsequently of 

 dewberries, blackberries and grasshoppers, thus obtaining abundant food, 

 and enjoying the beneficial influence of the sun's rays. They roll them- 

 selves in deserted ants' nests, to clear their growing feathers of the loose 

 scales, and prevent ticks and other vermin from attacking them, these 

 insects being unable to bear the odour of the earth in which ants have been. 



The young Turkeys now advance rapidly in growth, and in the month of 

 August are able to secure themselves from unexpected attacks of Wolves, 

 Foxes, Lynxes, and even Cougars, by rising quickly from the ground, by the 

 help of their powerful legs, and reaching with ease the highest branches of 

 the tallest trees. The young cocks shew the tuft on the breast about this 

 time, and begin to gobble and strut, while the young hens pur and leap, in 

 the manner which I have already described. 



The old cocks have also assembled by this time, and it is probable that all 

 the Turkeys now leave the extreme north-western districts, to remove to 

 the Wabash, Illinois, Black river, and the neighbourhood of Lake Erie. 



Of the numerous enemies of the Wild Turkey, the most formidable, 

 excepting man, are the Lynx, the Snowy Owl, and the Virginian Owl. 

 The Lynx sucks their eggs, and is extremely expert at seizing both young 

 and old, which he effects in the following manner. When he has discovered 

 a flock of Turkeys, he follows them at a distance for some time, until he 

 ascertains the direction in which they are proceeding. He then makes a 

 rapid circular movement, gets in advance of the flock, and lays himself 

 down in ambush, until the birds come up, when he springs upon one of 

 them by a single bound, and secures it. While once sitting in the woods, 

 on the banks of the Wabash, I observed two large Turkey-cocks on a log, 

 by the river, pluming and picking themselves. I watched their movements 

 for awhile, when of a sudden one of them flew across the river, while I per- 

 ceived the other struggling under the grasp of a Lynx. When attacked by 

 the two large species of Owl above mentioned, they often effect their escape 

 in a way which is somewhat remarkable. As Turkeys usually roost in flocks, 



