The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-25

ciate in parties of from ten to 100 to
seed their food apart from the females,
which either go about singly with their
young or form troops with other hens
and their families. sometimes to the
number of seventy or eighty. These
all avoid the old males, who attack and
destroy the younger whenever they can
by reiterated blows on the skull. But
all parties travel in the same direction
and on foot, unless the dog of a hunter
or Z river on their line of march COM
pels them to take wing. When about
to cross a river they select the highest
erninence, that their flight may be more
sure, andin such position they sometimes
stay for day or more, as if in consul
tation. The males on such occasions
gObble obstreperously, strutting about
with extraordinary Importance, as if to
animate their companions, and the fe-
males and young assume much of the
pompous air of the males and spread
their tales as they move silently around.
Having mounted at length to the tops
of the highest trees, the assembled null
titudes, at the signal note of their lead
er, wing their way to the opposite shore.
The old and fat birds, contrary to
what might be expected, cross without
difficulty, even when the river is mile
in width; but the wings of the young
and meager. and, of course, those of the
weak, frequently fail them before they
have completed their passage, when in
they drop and are forced to swim for
their lives, which they do cleverly
enough, spreading their tails for a sup
port closing their wings, stretching out
their feet. All do not succeed in such
attempts, and the weaker often perish.
The wild turkeys feed on all sorts of
berries, fruits and grasses; also bee
ties, tadpOles, young frogs and lizards
are occasionally found in their crops.
When the turkeys have arrived at the
land of abundance they dispense in
focks, devouring all the mast as they
advance.
The beginning of March is the pairing
time. for a short time previous to which
the females separate from their mates
and shun them, though the latter peril
naciously follow, gObbling loudly. The
sexes roost apart, but at no great dis
tances, so that when the female utters
a call every male within hearing re
spends, rolling note after note in the
rapid succession; not as when spread
ing the tail and strutting near the
hen, but in a voice resembling that
of the tame turkey when he hears any
unusual or frequently repeated noise.
Where the turkeys are numerous, the
woods, from one to the other, some
times for scores of miles, resound with
this voice of their woOing. uttered re-
sp0nsiveIy from their roostfng places.
This is continued for about an hour
and, on the rising of the sun, they 81
lently descend from their perches, and
the males begin to strut for the purpose
of winning the admiration of their
mates.
If the call be given from the ground
the males in the vicinity fly toward the
individual, and, whether they perceive
her or not, erect and spread their tails,
throw the head backward, distend the
comb and waffle, strut pompously and
rustic their wings and body feathers,
at the same time ejecting a puff of air
from the lungs. While thus occupied
they occasionally halt to look out for
the female and then resume their strut
ting and putting, moving with as much
rapfdity as the nature of their gait will
admit During this performance the
males often encounter each other and
desperate battles ensue, when the con-