The Dublin Penny Journal from Dublin, Dublin, Ireland • Page 4

THE DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL. 100 the women weave their feathers with much art on a loose web made of the rind of the birch-tree, arranging them so as to keep the down on the inside, and exhibit the brilliant surface to the eye. A specimen of this cloth is in the Philadelphia Museum it was found enveloping the body of an Indian female, in the great Saltpetre cave of The turkey is generally esteemed a stupid bird, and, in its tame state, perhaps with truth. Its vigilance and cunning in its native forests, however, often baffle the experience of well trained hunters and the attention and cunning of the female are noted by Mr. Audubon.

The attention of the male to the young is also, in some cases, extraordinary. We have known him regularly attend and protect the female and brood from dogs, or other intruders and, in two instances, to take the sole charge upon himself, refusing to admit the female to any share of his cares. The same bird frequently drove the hen from her nest, and sat upon the eggs until hatched. Mr. Audubon relates a curious anecdote of the turkey, which also illustrates the disposition of the dog.

While at Henderson, on the Ohio, I had, among many other wild birds, a fine male turkey, which had been reared from its earliest youth under my care, it having been caught by me when probably not more than two or three days old. It became so tame, that it 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 until dawn. When two years old, it began to fly to the woods, where it remained for a considerable part of the day, to return to the enclosure as night approached. One morning I saw it fly ofT, at a very early hour, to the woods, and took no particular notice of that 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 chace it, nnd 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 turned 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 that in cleared countries, they can be overtaken by a swift cur-dog, when they will squat, and suffer themselves to be caught by the dog or hunter, who follows on horseback. But from the knowledge we have gained of this bird, we do not hesitate to affirm, that the manner of running down turkeys, like hares or foxes, so much talked of, is a mere fable, as such a sport would be attended with very trifling success. A turkey hound will sometimes lead his roaster several miles, before he can a second time fluh the same individual from his concealment and even on a fleet horse, after following one for hours, it is often found impossible to put it up. During a fall of melting snow, turkeys will travel extraordinary distances, and arc often pursued in vain by any description of hunters they have then a long straddling manner of running, very easy to themselves, but which few animals can equal. This disposition for running, during rains or humid weather, is common to all gallinaceous birds.

The males are frequently decoyed within gun-shot, in the breeding season, by forcibly drawing theair through one of the wing bones, producing a sound very similar to the voice of the femalt but the performer on this simple instrument must commit no error, for turkeys arc quick of hearing, and, when frequently alarmed, are wary and cunning. Some of these will answer to the call without advancing a step, and thus defeat the speculations of the hunter, who must avoid making any movement, inasmuch as single glance of a turkey may defeat his hopes of decoying them. By imitating the cry of the barred owl (Stris ncbuhia), the hunter discovers many on their roosts, as they will reply by a gobble to every repetition of this sound, and can thus be approached with certainty about daylight, and easily killed. Wild turkeys are very tenacious of their feeding grounds, as well as of the trees on which they have once roosted. Flocks have been known to resort to one spot for a succession of years, and to return after a distant migration in search of food.

Their roosting place is mostly on a point of land, jutting into a river, where there are large trees. When they have collected at the signal of a repeated gobbling, they silently proceed towards their nocturnal abodes, and perch near each other from the number sometimes congregated in one place, it would seem to be the common rendezvous of the whole neighbourhood. But no position, however secluded or difficult of access, can secure them from the attacks of the artful and vigilant hunter, who, when they are all quietly perched for the night, takes a stand previously chosen by daylight, and, when the rising moon enables him to take sure aim, shoots them down at leisure, and by carefully singling out those on the lower branches first, he may secure nearly the whole flock, neither the presence of the hunter, nor the report of his gun, intimidating the turkeys, although the appearance of a single owl would be sufficient to alarm the whole troop the dropping of their companions from their sides excites nothing but a buzzing noise, which iecms more expressive of surprise than fright. This fancied security or heedlessness of danger, while at roost, is characteristic of all the gallinaceous birds of North America. The more common mode of taking turkeys is by means of pens, constructed with logs, covered in at top, and with a passage in the earth under one side of it, just large enough to admit an individual when stooping.

The ground chosen for this purpose is generally sloping, and the passage is cut on the lower side, widening outwards. These preparations being completed, Indian corn is strewed for some distance around the pen, to entice the flock, which, picking up the grain, is gradually led towards the passage, and thence into the enclosure, where a sufficient quantity of corn is spread to occupy the leader until the greater pnrt of the turkeys have entered. When they raise their heads and discover that they are prisoners, all their exertions to escape are directed upwards and against the sides of the pen, not having sagacity enough to stoop sufficiently low to pass out by the way they entered, and thus they become an easy prey, not only to the experienced hunter, but even to the boys on the frontier settlements. Teindinjiimakerjiuch uBeof their tails aj faqs; CHOIR OF THE DOMINICAN FRIARY, FORTUMNA INTERIOR VIEW. The flourishing town of Portumna is agreeably situated on the banks of the noble river Shannon, in the barony of Longford, and county of Galway.

It has been greatly improved within these few years past, partly by the liberality of its noble owner, the Marquis of Clanricarde, and partly owing to the trade carried on by means of steam navigation. This vm bavc been place of email jjote front a yery.