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CHAPTER II.

Table of Contents

THE BIRD OF CHRISTMAS.

Table of Contents

1. We now come to the bird which is a universal favorite, especially when, as at Christmas-dinner, it lies on the platter, well roasted, brown, tender, and juicy, and hot from the oven. How cold and dreary would Christmas be without the presence of this silent, roasted friend!

2. Eager eyes of little folks dwell fondly upon the feast "fit to set before a king," and, when the carving is done, spoons must be thrust into little mouths, to keep them from crying out "Turkey!" before-time, as was the case of the children of Bob Cratchet, in the "Christmas Carol."

3. When no peacocks are about, the turkey is the most showy bird of the farm-yard. It is larger, and can boast of longer legs, than any of its companions; and its coat is shiny and always clean. By turning in different ways to the light, the wild turkey appears at one time nearly black, and again it shows a bright green or a rich, deep bronze color. In the farm-yard turkeys may be seen of different hues—some white, others brown or bronze, while most of them, like Joseph, have coats of many colors.

The Wild Turkey.

4. The hen-turkey is plain in her dress, so that she may, as little as possible, attract the attention of her enemies. She is shy in her manner, and is disposed to make but few acquaintances. She talks to her young with a soft, cooing note, when she feels safe; but, when danger comes, she bids them hide in the grass by her sharp "quit, quit!" The little ones, in turn, answer the voice of their mother by high-keyed, affectionate, and contented "peeps," that seem to say, "All is well."

5. The turkey-cock, or gobbler, as he is called, wears gayer clothes than his dames. His feathers shine with deeper, brighter colors; and his tail is more gorgeous than theirs. He is a fine-looking fellow, and, like the peacock, he knows it, and is proud. He struts about with his red face and wattles, with his head drawn back, his tail spread like a fan, his wings dropped and dragging on the ground; and he seems to say, "I am the finest bird in the world."

6. Getting food and eating are the main business of turkeys. Though they are scratchers, they spend little time in scratching. The farm-yard is too small for them. Great walkers and wanderers are they. Tender grass, leaves, bugs, flies, and worms tempt them; and for these they roam over the fields, far away from home, leading their young ones along, and, with the declining sun, return to the farm-yard with full crops.

7. Turkeys are natives of America. They once roamed wild all over the country, and are still found wild in the forests of the South and West. They do not go from North to South with the changes of the seasons; but, when food and water fail in one part of the country, they are obliged to go to another. They are social, and live in small families; but, when they leave for a more abundant region, they collect in great numbers.

8. After the broods are hatched, the turkey-cocks live by themselves, in parties of from ten to a hundred. They are cruel parents, and the hen-turkeys must keep their young by themselves, for fear that they may be killed. When, however, a want of food forces the turkey community to seek a new home, all set out together on foot.

9. If they come to a river, they collect in mass, meeting on the highest bluff, and there often remain a whole day consulting as to what they shall do. This is thought to be a good opportunity to show off, and to display fine clothes and loud talk. Besides, it is a political meeting, and a leader is to be chosen. So the gobblers strut and gobble more than usual, and even the hen-turkeys grow nervous and try to gobble.

10. At length, when all are ready, they rise to the tops of the tallest trees. The leader gives a signal-cluck, and all take flight for the opposite shore. Across even a very wide river the strong birds will make their flight. But many of the young fall into the water, and reach the shore by swimming.

11. Very careful and tender mothers are these hen-turkeys, and they show their care in the selection of nests. In a hollow place, among dry leaves, by the side of a log, or in a fallen, leafy tree-top, but always in a dry place, they lay their eggs. Slyly and secretly they deposit and cover them so as to preserve them from the hungry crow, which is ever watching for the chance of a feast. When she returns to her nest, the hen-turkey follows a different path from that by which she left it. If her eggs have been touched by a snake, she abandons the nest forever.

12. When first hatched, the young turkeys wear a coat of soft, heavy down, and are very tender. The mother, anxious to keep them dry until their feathers are grown, leads them to dry and sheltered places. When the dew is on, or rain is falling, she covers them with her wings. In fourteen days they are able to fly to the low branches of trees, where they pass the night under their mother's wings. In another month they have grown strong enough to reach the tops of the highest trees.

13. But bird-life, like other lives, is not without its dangers. Man, the fox, and the owl, are the enemies of young turkeys. The owl makes its attacks while they are roosting in the trees. Slyly and silently he draws near to the innocent sleepers, but is usually discovered.

14. A single cluck from one of the flock gives the alarm, when they all rise upon their legs and watch the motions of the owl. He selects his prey, and darts down toward it like an arrow. But, at this instant, the victim lowers its head and raises its tail over its back. The owl strikes the tail instead of the body, and the turkey drops to the ground with only the loss of a few feathers.

15. Those who have studied the habits of the wild turkeys know how to easily trap them. On a slope of ground, or hill-side, a pen of small timber is constructed, just as children build cob or stick houses. It is covered with a strong roof, and on the lower side of the slope, close to the ground, an opening is left large enough for a turkey to pass through. From this opening, and down the hill, a short trench is dug, and corn is scattered both in the pen and in the trench.

16. The turkeys are delighted to find such rare food, and doubtless pass a vote of thanks to the kind hand that has provided for them without either hunting or scratching for it. The greedy creatures follow the golden line of corn until they reach the pen, when they stoop and enter. Now, finding themselves confined, they try to break out through the sides and roof, but never think that they can go out as they came in.

Neighbors with Wings and Fins and Some Others, for Young People

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