344 
WILD TURKEY. 
route ,* and, on leaving her charge, she is very careful to cover 
the whole with dry leaves, with which she conceals it so art- 
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 appear- 
ance 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 post by the approach of apparent 
danger ; but, if an enemy appears, she crouches as low as pos- 
sible, and suffers it to pass. A circumstance related by Mr 
Audubon will show how much intelligence they display on 
such occasions ; having discovered a sitting hen, he remarked 
that, by assuming a careless air, whistling, or talking to him- 
self, he was permitted to pass within five or six feet of her ; 
but, if he advanced cautiously, she would not suffer him to 
come within twenty paces, but ran off twenty or thirty yards 
with her tail expanded, when, assuming a stately gait, she 
paused on every step, occasionally uttering a chuck. They 
seldom abandon their nests on account of being discovered by 
man, but should a snake, or any other animal, suck one of the 
eggs, the parent leaves them altogether. If the eggs be re- 
moved, 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 such cases, the nest is 
constantly guarded by one of the parties, so that no crow, 
raven, nor even polecat, dares approach it. 
The mother will not forsake her eggs, when near hatching, 
while life remains ; she will suffer an enclosure to be made 
around and imprison her, rather than abandon her charge. 
Mr Audubon witnessed the hatching of a brood, while thus 
endeavouring to secure the young and mother. I have laid 
flat,” says he, “ within a very few feet, and seen her gently 
