ASSOCIATION OF SEXES 125 



water's edge, rising as they fly, and alighting 

 in the tops of the trees on the opposite bank. 

 Mr. J. K. Renaud, of New Orleans, and I, while 

 paddling a skiff up a small lake in Alabama, once 

 counted a flock of sixteen turkeys flying across 

 the lake some distance ahead of us. We noticed 

 that they just barely skimmed over the water 

 and rose to the top of a higher ridge on the oppo- 

 site side, where they alighted, and not even one 

 touched the water. This lake was probably three 

 hundred yards wide. 



Audubon says: "Even the females and young 

 assume something of the pompous demeanor, 

 spreading their tails and running around each 

 other, purring loudly, and making extravagant 

 leaps. I have seen this running round, purring, 

 dancing, and 'ring-around a rosy' in the spring, 

 but not to any extent at any other time." 



As many of my readers have never had the 

 opportunity or pleasure of reading the beautiful 

 and expressive lines of Audubon on the wild 

 turkey, I will be pardoned if I introduce some 

 extracts from this great author. He says: "As 

 early as the middle of February they [the tur- 



