300 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



when she took wing and flew farther off, but not out of the 

 field. On this the dog returned nearly to the place where 

 the young ones lay concealed in the grass; which the old 

 bird no sooner perceived, than she flew back again, settled 

 just before the dog's nose, and a second time acted the 

 same part, rolling and tumbling about till she drew off his 

 attention from the brood, and thus succeeded in preserving 

 them." 

 The "Wild The Wild Turkey was at one time common in 



Turkey. a Q parts of America, but it is fast diminishing, 

 and is now seldom found except in the western territories. 

 It is often larger than the domestic turkey; it is gregarious 

 and feeds on grain, seeds, and fruits. It is the original stock 

 of the domestic turkey. Mr. Lucien Bonaparte has given a 

 long and interesting account of this bird. He says they 

 sometimes fly across broad rivers, ascending the tallest trees 

 on one side, and the whole flock starting together. Some 

 of the younger and weaker birds sometimes fall into the 

 water and either paddle to the shore or are drowned. 

 The Domestic The Wild Turkey was first carried to Europe 



Turkey, a^j other parts of the eastern continent and 

 domesticated in the i6th century. It is now extensively 

 diffused over the world, and its flesh is ranked among the 

 most delicious poultry. The cock is a noisy fellow, strutting 

 about, and displaying his plumage with great ostentation ; he 

 is also very quarrelsome. The hen seems to possess a more 

 modest and retiring disposition, wandering about the fields 

 with a melancholy and dejected air, occasionally uttering a 

 short plaintive note. She is exceedingly attached to her 

 young, but leads them away from danger without ever 

 attempting to defend them by repelling an attack. 

 The Sagacity of Of the sagacity of the Turkey Audubon 



the Turkey. sa y s : While at Henderson, on the Ohio, I 

 had a fine male turkey, which had been reared from its 

 earliest youth under my care. It became so tame that it 



