much. rapidity as. the nature of. their gait will admit. During* this
ceremonious approach-the males oftcn«jriicjyinWt each,.other,, and
desperate battles ensue, , when the conflict is, only terminated by /the'
flight or death of the ,v,ari|m%ed^8ri
This pugnacious disposition-,is.not to.be regarded as.accidental,
but as resulting from a wise andjczceffentlaw- of nature, who always
studies the;good of the speli^s^i&Qut- regard to.ib^findiy iduals. Did
not females, prefer the most, perfect of .thein:snc|ie&jj and were not the
favours-of, beauty most .willingly dispensed, to the \ it torjmis, feeble-,
pess and degeneracy would soon mark, the animal creation: shut, in
consequence of this general r.ule, the various*! rades;, of animals are
propagated,-'by those individuj|J||whA.are.not oiilyrmp'stjlo be admired’
for external, appearance, but-most to. be valued; for t their, intrinsic
spirit and energy.
"When the^flxjeetpfrhis pursuit is .discovered, if. the femalejbe more
than,one year old, she also struts and even gobbles, evinping'mucfr-.de-
pjre; she turns proudly round the strutting male,-and suddenly, opening
her. wings, .throws herself towards him, as .if to terminate, his, .procras?
tination, and, laying herself on the earth, receivesbisdilatpuy^aresses.
But should he meet a young hejn^his strut djecom.es ^different, and
his. movements are» violently rapid;, sometimes rising in air, he
takes a short circular flight, and on alighting drags his wings fq#s a
distance of eight ..or ,ten paces, running at . full, speed, occasionally
approaching; the timorous hen, and pressing her until, she yields to
his solicitations. Thus are they mated for the. season, though. the
male does not confine himself exclusively to one female, nor does he
hesitate to; bestow his. attentions and endearments on several,„whenever,
an. opportunity offers.
One or ippr,e, females, thusTassociated, follow their favourite,, and
roost in; his immediate neighbourhood, if not on the same tree, .until
they begin to lay, when they change, their mode of life,4n order to save
their eggs, which the male uniformly breaks if in his power, that, the
female, may not be withdrawn from the gratification of his desires.
WILD TURKEY. 85
At this^timetehc female^ shun the males during the greater part of the
Iatteribeebme- clumsy andfc^lâ4éss> meet each other peace-
frilly, 9 t so entlrely'^iSCf'tps gobfii&tfrat the hens- are; obliged to
Court ^beS^tKânéé^c'alldng loiidly and almost cwtiuri$lly for them.
The female ma\ thvnJjemBWiedi ( dressing tlie-iutdei. and imitating
his peculia#gestures>in ordcra ifàcYÔ'utvfnJst amorousness.
Th® ctroSs^ even when on tp^bloiKl^^ïnielimeV strut and gobble,
but more :gidnerallj,>üiefd^<elev&é Abe, tail, qàhd'^uCTêr’the p uff?"on
which, the. tail an (If o tljieijweul^ I y subside^ ' 0nt light or
moon-sbining mights, near the termination ofhltéjfrEéeding season,
they'repeat trlïif -, <>£ a few minutés^-for several
hours together, without rising frbnitiItiaraperches?^» ‘4.
r The» S^es|itheM |fej3uratd;vmil~ Éarfesf lfe|h'^thûèh emaciated, cease»
entirely to^giibbrt^fljrii^coruJî^ucôiiÿ llu rustlvlsHiy'pro'slirate trees*
in. secluded parts of the forest^-oBiihtbènîïL'niost impenetrable; privacy
of areanribrake.’3 Rathen than haVfMnei^mWngbplai-es-, they suffer
tJîimîJSlvîs to.bq»a}3pfoa©he|s;withm a short distance^'when they seek
safety in their, speed ofrlfipfll! atf®i%S&a%OB'#however;!éhey are of no»
Value, to the hunter, beiâg meagre ith ticks. By thtti
retiring, Using very little-, exercise, andûf|eflang ön|||fculiar grasses,
they recover gjhei»flesh and strength, and'when this Object is attained,
again congregate, andpMëjmâî'encei their ramblésUî sn
' About mé middlb of; A^ril,'t i^em'fefei^fi§ather is dry, the female
selecta a proper placé in which tdsm^Psifr' herj ëgg^\‘Sëèured from
the encroachment of water, and,* as, far as possible,», concealed, from
the Watchful eye. olfttshê Crötf tniss cràfty. biraléspies the hen going
to her nebt$/and havingj dîseov&çèdi thé precious, deposit,, waits for
the. absence of « n e parent,, and. removed cvèryitone of the eggs»
from the spotj. that he: mayÿ devour them at leisure. The nest iss
placed OBSrae'’ground^ either on a dry ridge, in the fallen top of a*
dead leafy tre l| under a thicket of sumach or briars, or by the side
of a log; it is ofrîa-verytsimple stMcture; being composed of a few
dried leaves. In this receptacle the eggs are deposited, sometimes
von. Ü—.V