TURKEYS. 311 



difficulties in their journey ings, in consequence of rivers 

 stopping their progress. In this case, they seem to hold 

 a council; the old males strut abeut, and gobble loudly, 

 while the hens and young males spread out their tails, 

 and make the most of their figures. At last, as if by 

 common consent, they mount the highest trees, from 

 whence, at a particular signal from a leader, away they 

 launch themselves. If, as is often the case, the river is 

 wide, these short-winged, heavy-bodied travellers perish 

 in great numbers. The strong, old, and healthy, gene- 

 rally accomplish their object, while the weak and tender, 

 falling short, are hurried down the stream; but they do 

 not, in this perilous predicament, lose their presence of 

 mind, for, spreading out their tails as a sail, they close 

 their wings, stretch out their necks, and strike out boldly 

 for the shore. 



There can be no doubt, that our European stocks of 

 tame Turkeys are descendants of these wild Americans, 

 and yet it is remarkable that, train and keep them as 

 long as you please, the wild Turkey will still retain its 

 original habits; and it is not improbable, that, if left to 

 themselves, the descendants of our tame ones would in 

 time resume the wild habits of their forefathers, like 

 those which we have above mentioned, abounding near 

 the Black Sea. 



We are not, indeed, without instances of wild Turkeys, 

 at this day, in our own country, and a curious anecdote 

 has reached us of a friendship taking place between a 

 flock of these birds and a Partridge. It occurred at 

 Tyninghaine in Scotland, where there is a breed of 

 Turkeys, which never enter into the poultry-house or 

 yard, but roost in the trees, and live chiefly on beech- 

 mast, and anything else they can pick up, though they 

 are tame enough to come about the house to be fed, in 

 the time of frost and snow. About eight or ten years 

 ago, a cock Partridge, full grown, suddenly joined him- 

 self to the flock of these Turkeys, and remained with 

 them constantly during the whole Summer, Autumn, and 



