THE TURKEY. 301

would follow any person who called it, and was the favourite
of the little village. Yet it would never roost with the tame
turkeys; but regularly betook itself at night to the roof of
the house, where it remained till dawn. When two years
old it began to fly to the woods, where it remained for a
considerable part of the day, and returned to the enclosure
as night approached. It continued this practice until the
following spring, when I saw it several times fly from its
roosting-place to the top of a high cotton-tree on the bank
of the Ohio, from which, after resting a little, it would sail
to the opposite shore, the river being there nearly half a
mile wide, and return towards night. One morning I saw it
fly off, at a very early hour, to the woods in another direction,
and took no particular notice of the circumstance. Several
days elapsed, but the bird did not return. I was going
towards some lakes near Green River, to shoot, when, having
walked about five miles, I saw a fine large gobbler cross the
path before me, moving leisurely along. Turkeys being then
in prime condition for the table, I ordered my dog to chase
it and put it up. The animal went off with great rapidity,
and as it approached the turkey, I saw, with great surprise,
that the latter paid little attention. Juno was on the point
of seizing it, when she suddenly stopped, and tumed her
head towards me. I hastened to them; but you may easily
conceive my surprise when I saw my own favourite bird,
and discovered that it had recognised the dog, and would
not fly from it, although the sight of a strange dog would
have caused it to run off at once. A friend of mine, being
in search of a wounded deer, took the bird on his saddle
before him, and carried it home for me. The following
spring it was accidentally shot, having been taken for a wild
bird, and brought to me, on being recognised by the red
ribband which it had round its neck.”

Sitting The male Turkey is said to be but an indifferent
Turkey Oocks. father, but there are some curious illustrations