WILD TURKEY. 
171 
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the season. Several turkey hens sometimes 
'» tk* a * e > perhaps for mutual safety, deposit their eggs 
a Y e same nest, and rear their broods together. Mr 
prf 'd«bon once found three females sitting on forty-two 
In such cases, the nest is constantly guarded hy 
j # * of the parties, so that no crow, raven, nor even 
rj^ s t> dares approach it. 
L. ; le mother will not forsake her eggs, when near 
iJ^ing, while life remains ; she will suffer an enclo- 
( ' ]o be made around and imprison her, rather than 
C'.'mn her charge. Mr Audubon witnessed the 
V" in ? of a brood” while thus endeavouring to secure 
.y°Ung and mother. “ I have laid Hat,* 5 says he, 
tb 'thin a very f cw f ee t, and seen her gently rise from 
J ^gs, look anxiously towards them, chuck with a 
peculiar to the mother on such an occasion, 
ljj>ve carefully each half empty shell, and with her 
Vt . ress and dry the younglings, that already stand 
an d attempting to force their way out of the 
Wi 
'’'Mil n . P rocess ’ 11CI 
... ..icuhation is ended, and the 
„ r * is about to retire from the nest with her young 
t]i„ °~i she shakes herself violently, picks and adjusts 
Others about the belly, and assumes a different 
; her eyes are alternately inclined obliquely up- 
o,.p r ' s and sidewise ’ *' " f '• ''->«• n " ,k - m 
direction, to 
her 
she stretches forth her neck, in 
discover birds of prey or othei 
■ in .1 , ..... wings are partially spread, aud she softly 
V s to keep her tender offspring close to her side. 
oJy proceed slowly, and, as the hatching generally 
thi, r S »n the afternoon, t hey sometimes return to pass 
W, hr st night in the nest. While very young, the 
Ik. ', er leads them to elevated dry places, as if aware 
lc 0 , , ‘ u midity, during the first few days of their life, 
Hi, I ( 1 he very dangerous to them, they having tlien 
hi protection” than a delicate, soft, hairy down, 
rainy seasons wild turkeys are scarce, because, 
A? completely wetted, the young rarely survive. 
lo a , the expiration of about two weeks, the young 
6 the ground on which they had previously reposed 
