166 
MEI.EAGRIS GALLOPAVO. 
or eighty individuals, all of whom are intent on avoid 1 *^ 
the old males, who, whenever opportunity offers, att^ 
and destroy the young-, by repeated blows on the sk® j 
All parties, however, travel in the same direction, 
on foot, unless they are compelled to seek their ini)*',, 
dual safety by Hying from the hunter’s dog, or tl |f ' 
march is impeded by a large river. When about , 
cross a river, they select the highest eminences, 
their flight may he the more certain ; and here [ 
sometimes remain for a day or more, as if for the purl' 0 * 
of consultation, or to he duly prepared for so hazard® 
a voyage. During this time the males gobble obs* r ‘, 
perously, and strut with extraordinary importance', 
it they would animate their companions, and inspjh 
them with the utmost degree of hardihood ; the fen' 18 ,'., 
and young also assume much of the pompous air of *' 
males, the former spreading their tails, and mo' 8 " 
silently around. At length the assembled multit® ^ 
mount to the tops of the highest trees, whence, - 1 ' 
signal note from a leader, the whole together wing th*L 
way towards the opposite shore. All the old and* 
ones cross without difficulty, even when the J 'i' ,| 
exceeds a mile in width ; hut the young, meagre, 
weak, frequently fall short of the desired landing, 1111 
are forced to swim for their lives ; this they do deS* c „ 
ously enough, spreading their tails for a support, 
their wings to the body, stretching the neck forw' ar \/ 
and striking out quickly and forcibly with their 
It; in thus endeavouring to regain the land, t* 1 ®/ 
approach an elevated or inaccessible bank, their eS e 
tions are remitted, they resign themselves to the strf'i’V 
for a short time, in order to gain strength, and then, lV ' ;j 
one violent effort, escape from the water. But in * n : 
attempt all are not successful; some of the weak®' 
as they cannot rise sufficiently high in air to clear 
hank, tall again and again into the water, and "* 
miserably perish. Immediately after the turkeys h 8 ^ 
succeeded in crossing a river, they for some time ran' 1 ^ 
about without any apparent unanimity of purpose, !1 * 
