THE WILD TURKEY. 
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and most sheltered part of the wood, and at 
night nestles them beneath her wings. In 
the day-time, she walks before them, stretch- 
ing her neck from side to side, as if to spy 
out an enemy. And if an enemy comes in 
sight, she utters a peculiar note, that gives 
warning to her young ones to run and hide 
themselves. 
A turkey was one day strutting about at 
the head of her brood, looking very proud and 
happy. Suddenly she glanced at the sky, 
and uttered a most piercing scream. The 
little ones immediately took fright. Some of 
them skulked down, and tried to hide them- 
selves in the grass ; and the rest stretched 
themselves out at full length on the ground, 
and lay motionless as if they were dead. All 
the time, the mother kept on screaming, and 
looking intently into the sky. Nothing was 
to be seen except a black spot, just under a 
cloud. But the black spot came nearer, and 
nearer, and turned out to be a hawk. He 
swept round and round the frightened group, 
and at length hovered right over them. The 
little ones seemed to be dead, for they never 
moved; while the mother kept her eyes fixed 
