156 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



young ones, I climbed up the tree, and found 

 a nest with two large eggs in it : the nest 

 was very clumsily made, but strongly secured 

 by being placed in the fork of several diverg- 

 ing branches ; the eggs were much larger 

 than those of the common turkey. I took 

 them home and put them under a hen that 

 wanted to sit, and they almost wore her pa- 

 tience out, by sitting so much longer on them 

 than is required on hen's eggs; not to men- 

 tion her being run away with one night by an 

 opossum ; but her patience was at length re- 

 warded by the appearance of two fine turkeys. 



These birds were never touched by our 

 own dogs or by those belonging to Indians 

 accustomed to call at the ranchos ; but a 

 stranger arrived one day, and his strange 

 dog made a dash at them and killed them 

 both, though they were in the midst of poul- 

 try he did not touch ; however, our dogs 

 very nearly pulled him to pieces for his 

 pains ; but it was vexing to lose them in 

 such a w r ay, as no doubt the pair would have 

 bred. 



I made the same remark of this bird as 

 upon deer, that they are more easily met 

 with during heavy, stormy weather than in 

 fine weather. One week a party were de- 



