-0 The Wild Turkey, 



bably introdaced into this country from 

 Spain, soon after the discovery of Ame- 

 rica ; since Tusser, who lived in the reign 

 of Henry YII. represents it as a common 

 Christmas dish, together v^ith pig, goose, 

 and capon. The turkey did not reach 

 France quite so early ; the first intelligence 

 we have of it in that country, being at the 

 nuptial feast of Charles IXth, in the year 

 1570. They have since been domesticated 

 throughout the civilized world, in every 

 climate, although said not to succeed equally 

 on the barren sands of Africa. 



There is a sameness of colour in the 

 Vt iid turkey, and the original stock seems 

 to have been black, domestication gene- 

 rally inducing a variety of colours. Yet 

 one would suppose that white, also, must 

 have been a primitive colour with them, 

 else the transition from black to white 

 would be rather unaccountable. In a 

 state of nature, they are said to parade in 

 flocks of five hundred, feeding, in general, 

 where abundance of nettles are to be 

 found, the seed of which is their common 



