THE BALD EAGLE. 131 



written by Dr. Franklin to Mrs. Bache, under date of Pas- 

 sy, January 26, 1784 : 



" 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 char- 

 acter ; he does not get his living honestly. You may have seen 

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

 he watches the labor of the fishing-hawk ; 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 sparrow, attacks 

 him boldl)^, and drives him out of the district. He is, therefore, 

 by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati 

 of America, avIio have driven all the -^/«_^-birds from our country, 

 though exactly fit for that order of knights the French call Cheva- 

 liers 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 turkey is, in comparison, a much more respecta- 

 ble 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 being 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 hesi- 

 tate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards, who should pre- 

 sume 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 asser- 

 tion about the first turkey being brought to France, etc., 

 is a mistake, as turkeys were found in great plenty by Cor- 

 tez when he invaded and conquered Mexico, before the 

 time of Charles IX., and that this, and their being brought 

 to old Spain, is mentioned by Peter Martyr of Angelina, 

 who was secretary to the council of the Indies, established 

 immediately after the discovery of America, and personal- 

 ly acquainted with Columbus. 



