THE TURKEY. 
129 
fully, as to make it extremely difficult, even for one 
who has watched her movements, to indicate the 
exact spot; hence few nests are found, and these 
are generally discovered by fortuitously starting the 
female from them, or by the appearance of broken 
shells, scattered around by some cunning lynx, fox, 
or crow. When laying or sitting, the turkey hen is 
not readily driven from her poBt by the approach of 
apparent danger ; but, if an enemy appears, she 
crouches as low as possible, and suffers it to pass. 
A circumstance related by Mr Audubon will shew 
how much intelligence they display on such occa- 
sions ; having discovered a sitting hen, he remarked 
that, by assuming a careless air, whistling, or talking 
to himself, he was permitted to pass within five or 
six feet of her ; but, if be advanced cautiously, she 
would not suffer him to come within twenty paces, 
but ran off twenty or thirty yards with her tail ex- 
panded, when, assuming a stately gait, she paused on 
every step, occasionally uttering a chuck. They 
seldom abandon their nests on account of being dis- 
covered by man ; but should a snake, or any other 
animal, suck one of the eggs, the parent leaves them 
altogether. If the eggs be removed, she again seeks 
the male, and recommences laying, though otherwise 
she lays but one nest of eggs during the season. 
Several turkey hens sometimes associate, perhaps for 
mutual safety, deposit their eggs in the same nest, 
and rear their broods together. Mr Audubon once 
found three females sitting on forty-two eggs. In 
