NOTE -BOOK or A NATURALIST. 91 



To me (says that venerable philosopher and sturdy Republican) 

 they seem tolerably done ; but all such things are criticized. Some 

 find fault with the Latin, as wanting classical elegance and correct- 

 ness ; and since our nine universities were not able to furnish 

 better Latin, it was a pity, they say, that the mottoes had not been 

 in English. Others object to the title, as not properly assumable 

 by any but General Washington and a few others who served 

 v\-ithout pay. Others ol)ject to the bald eagle, as looking like a 

 din don, or turkey. 



For my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as 

 the representative of our country : he is a bird of bad moral 

 character; he does not get his liAdng honestly. You may have 

 seen him perched on some dead tree, where, too lazy to fish for 

 himself, he watches the labour of the fishing-hawk j and when that 

 diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his 

 nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle 

 pursues him and takes it from him. With all this injustice he is 

 never in good case, but like those among men who live by sharping 

 and robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. Besides, 

 he is a rank coward : the little king-bird, not bigger than a sparrov>', 

 attacks him boldly, and drives him out of the district. He is, 

 therefore, by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest 

 Cincinnati of America, who have driven all the A-»?^-birds from our 

 country, though exactly fit for that order of knights which the 

 French call Chevaliers d'Industrie. I am, on this account, not 

 displeased that the figure is not known as a bald eagle, but looks 

 more like a turkey. For, in truth, the tm-key is, in comparison, a 

 much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of 

 America. Eagles have been found in all countries, but the turkey 

 was peculiar to ours ; the first of the species seen in Europe bemg 

 brought to France by the Jesuits from Canada, and served up at 

 the wedding-table of Charles IX. 



He is besides (though a little vain and silly, 'tis true, but not 

 the worse emblem for that), a bird of courage, and would not 

 hesitate to attack a grenather of the British Guards, who should 

 presume to invade his farm-yard with a red coat on. 



The editor of this interesting correspondence remarks 

 that a learned friend had observed to him, that the as- 

 sertion about the first turkey being brought to France, 

 &c., is a mistake, as turkeys were found in great plenty 

 by Cortes when he invaded and conquered Mexico, be- 

 fore the time of Charles IX., and that this, and their 



