Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-03-07


And lifes Latest sands are its sands of gold.
Wild Turkey Traits.
This noble bird may he considered as
both migratory and gregarious, migrations
arising mainly from scarcity of food or
of greater abundance elsewhere, to
which they are gradually led by finding
the supply increasing as they advance,
rather than from any particular instinct of
their own. In the fall they direct their
course to the rich bottom lands of the Ohio
and Mississippi. Their food consists of
grains, grasses, acorns, berries, fruit and
insects; neither are tadpoes, young frogs
and lizards despised. When there is an
abundant crop Of acorns focks of turkeys
may be expected. 1t often occurs that
rivers are to be crossed during these mi
grations. When arrived at the banks
they assemble on the highest eminences
and there remain for hours, and even
days, as if in consultation, or, perhaps to
recruit their strength for the undertaking.
While thus waiting the males employ
their time in gobbling and strutting about
with expanded tails and lowered wings,
making with the latter II drumming or
booming sound Even the females often
initiate these movements. At last, mount
ing the trees and highest cminences, at IL
given signal from the chosen leader, they
wing their way 10 the opposite shore. The
old birds easily cross, but should the
stream be wide, the young and feeble fire.
quently miss the goal desired, and fall in
to the stream, when they swim ashore.
They swim with no little dexterity by
closing their wings and expanding their
tails for support, striking off rapidly with
their long and powerful legs. When the
banks are steep, as is frequently the case,
many are unable to ascend, and falling
back from the repeated and unsuccessful
attempts, are overpowcrcd by fatigue and
perish in the water.
Toward the latter part of February or
early in March, the love season COM
mences, and the famales separate and en-
deavor to hide from the males, while the
latter, with almost unintermitted gobbling,
seek them in all directions. At early
morn the notes of the male may be heard
as he stands upon his perch, but as the sun
rises he drops to the ground, and begins to
strut with his tail spread and elevated,
wings dropping, feathers rutlled, head and
neck drawn back, meantime emitting Il
putting sound, evidently in hope of his
lordly presence being recognized by some
watchful female. At such times, when
males meet feYce battle cnsucs, ending
only in death or fight of the weaker, Au
dubon says that the act of the victor in
treading upon his dead opponent Stimulates
not hatred butrather the motions employ
ed in caressing the females. This | cam
not verify, neither can | dispute, having
witnessed but one such battle, and then
the victor returned again and again to
crafty his rage upon the fallen foe, seem
ingly suspecting that the death of his op-
ponent was feigned. The turkey is polyg-
amous, one male often leading n flock of
twenty hens until they commence to lay,
when the females separate and seek to
hide themselves from the males, who are
only too apt to destroy the eggs in order
to prolong their amours.
The nest is very rude structure, being
u straight hollow scraped in the ground in
some dry and sheltered place, and filed
with withered leaves OF dry grass. These
are usually found on rising ground at the
edge of marshes, slashes or thckets, cvi-
IDENTIFY for the security the latter give the
young. In one case | know of wild
turkey building her nest in the top of a
stub some eight feet from the ground, the
stub being protected by the thick top of a
fallen tree. The nest contained only six
eggs These were carefully removed and
placed under II setting hen who hatchel
them all seven days later. As the nest of
II wild turkey usually contains from ten to
eighteen eggs, am led TO believe that
, this unusual selection of nest was due to
former ones having been destroyed.
When the hens are done laying the
males conceal themselves until they have
| recovered their condition. The females
alone incubate, carefully concealing the
, nest approaching it always with great
caution and from different point, and
covering the eggs with dry leaves when
| leaving in search Of food, and bravely de-
t Tending them against dcpredators. 1t is
: said that three or four females will lay ir
l one nest, one always remaining as guard
= while the others seek food. This am in
= clined to doubt; and unless the turkey il
t far more astute than is supposed, thcr,
| would be some difficulty in dividing TIN
. progeny, particularly if one or two egg
y failed to hatch, and would cause no smal
amount of " turkey, talk TO he settled b,
5 some grave old gobber capable of actin
o the Solomon. Possibly they may pos
e progeny as well as eggs.
'f The eggs are Of dull cream colol
) splotched with red. The young run -
Of soon US Matched, and are covered with
;. delicate hairy down. They ure very ter
IS der and easily killed by cold Or wet T
IL guard against the latter catastrophe, th
lie first night of the brood is usually passe
+ in the nest, after which the hen leads thei
X to dry elevated places, carefully shiel1in
lit them at night beneath her out-sprea
of wings until they are two weeks old, whc
e they roost upon the broad branches
s. trees, still pro ected by the wings of Il
p parent. The female calls her young |
) the well,known cluck. They run vel
ne fast, and when pursued trust more to the
ID legs than their wings for esrape.-FrO
v tbe Roll uu1 E3I