FOOD OF THE TURKEY. ' 415 



her to desert her charge. On being hatched, the young Turkeys, 

 under the protecting care of the old bird, are led to sequestered 

 feeding-grounds, and do not leave her till the end of several months. 

 Wild Turkeys have many formidable enemies — the most destructive 

 being man ; next the lynx and the eagle owl — they are, therefore, 

 very wary, and when on the ground secrete themselves at the least 

 appearance -of danger ; but if perched upon a tree, particularly if the 

 weather be wet and foggy, they are less guarded, and consequently 

 can be more easily approached by the sportsman. On a misty 

 moonlight night American hunters take their posts under trees where 

 Turkeys are in the habit of roosting. Under such circumstances 

 the flock will not attempt to escape, although numbers of their com- 

 panions are being momentarily killed.* This apparent apathy is 

 doubtless owing to want of sagacity for which, as well as for their 

 ludicrous aspect and eccentric attitudes, Turkeys have gained a repu- 

 tation for stupidity. This bird, however, sometimes gives proofs ot 

 intelligence of a high order, as the following fact, related by Audubon, 

 proves. He had reared a Wild Turkey, which had become extremely 

 tame, but the love of independence remained very strong in the bird, 

 for it could not accustom itself to the pent-up life of its domestic 

 relations. Thus, it enjoyed the greatest freedom ;. it went and came, 

 passing nearly all its time in the woods, only returning to the house 

 in the evening. At length it ceased to come home. Some time 

 after the desertion of his pet, Audubon, whilst hunting, perceived a 

 superb Wild Turkey, upon which he set his dog ; but, to his great 

 surprise, the bird did not fly, and the dog, instead of seizing it when 

 it was overtaken, stopped and turned his head towards his master ; 

 greater still was the hunter's surprise when, having approached, he 

 discovered his old pet. This bird had recognised the dog, and knew 

 his confidence in his old friend would not be misplaced. 



Turkeys feed upon herbs, grasses, fruits, and berries of every 

 description ; they are partial to beech and other nuts ; and their 

 liking for wheat and maize is such that they frequent the neighbour- 

 hood of cultivated fields, where they make great ravages. They 

 also occasionally feed upon insects, frogs, and lizards. The large 

 destructive grub familiarly known as the tobacco worm they are 

 particularly partial to, and are consequently encouraged by tobacco 

 planters. In a domestic state they are even known to have killed 

 and eaten rats. One curious peculiarity in the history of the Turkey 



* In the woods on the mai-gin of the Wabash river in Illinois I have known 

 eighteen Wild Turkeys killed before the remainder of the flock became alarmed 

 and took flight.-— Ed.. . .'.-.•: 



