48 
THE WILD TURKEY. 
state, when they are only covered by a kind of soft hairy down, of sur- 
prising delicacy. In very rainy seasons, Turkeys are scarce, for if once 
completely wetted, the young seldom recover. To prevent the disastrous 
effects of rainy weather, the mother, like a skilful physician, plucks the buds 
of the spice-wood bush, and gives them to her young. 
In about a fortnight, the young birds, which had previously rested on the 
ground, leave it and fly, at night, to some very large low branch, where 
they place themselves under the deeply curved wings of their kind and 
careful parent, dividing themselves for that purpose into two nearly equal 
parties. After this, they leave the woods during the day, and approach the 
natural glades or prairies, in search of strawberries, and subsequently of 
dewberries, blackberries and grasshoppers, thus obtaining abundant food, 
and enjoying the beneficial influence of the sun’s rays.* They roll them- 
selves in deserted ants’ nests, to clear their growing feathers of the loose 
scales and prevent ticks and other vermin from attacking them, these 
insects being unable to bear the odour of the earth in which ants have been. 
The young Turkeys now advance rapidly in growth, and in the month of 
August are able to secure themselves from unexpected attacks of Wolves, 
Foxes, Lynxes, and even Cougars, by rising quickly from the ground, by the 
help of their powerful legs, and reaching with ease the highest branches of 
the tallest trees. The young cocks shew the tuft on the breast about this 
time, and begin to gobble and strut,' while the young hens purr and leap, in 
the manner which I have already described. 
The old cocks have also assembled by this time, and it is probable that all 
the Turkeys now leave the extreme north-western districts, to remove to 
the Wabash, Illinois, Black river, and the neighbourhood of Lake Erie. 
Of the numerous enemies of the Wild Turkey, the most formidable, 
excepting man, are the Lynx, the Snowy Owl, and the Virginia Owl. 
The Lynx sucks their eggs, and is extremely expert at seizing both young 
and old, which he effects in the following manner. When he has discovered 
a flock of Turkeys, he follows them at a distance for some time, until he 
, ascertains the direction in which they are proceeding. He then makes a 
rapid circular movement, gets in advance of the flock, and lays himself 
down in ambush, until the birds come up, when he springs upon one of 
them by a single bound, and secures it. While once sitting in the woods, 
on the banks of the Wabash, I observed two large Turkey-cocks on a log, 
by the river, pluming and picking themselves. I watched their movements 
for awhile, when of a sudden one of them flew across the river, while I per- 
ceived the other struggling under the grasp of a Lynx. When attacked by 
the two large species of Owl above mentioned, they often effect their escape 
in a way which is somewhat remarkable. As Turkeys usually roost in flocks, 
