ASSOCIATION OF SEXES 127 



Audubon also says: "If the call of the hen is 

 from the ground, all the males immediately fly 

 toward the spot, and the moment they reach 

 it, whether the hen be in sight or not, spread out 

 and erect their tails, draw the head back on the 

 shoulders, depress the wings with a quivering 

 motion, and strut pompously about, emitting 

 at the same time successions of puffs from their 

 lungs, stopping now and then to listen and look, 

 but whether they spy females or not, continue 

 to puff and strut, moving with as much celerity 

 as their ideas of ceremony seem to admit." 



Now, here are some of the greatest errors of 

 the great naturalist in all his turkey lore, or else 

 the wild turkey gobbler has materially changed 

 his ways. The gobblers do not immediately fly 

 to the call of the hen, and no turkey hunter of 

 experience will admit this. 



There are perhaps instances, extremely rare 

 ones though, when a gobbler will fly instantly 

 to a hen on hearing her call, or even at sight of 

 her. Only in two instances in my life have I 

 witnessed it, and on both occasions the gobblers 

 were young birds two years old, and acted a good 



