80 THE IMPORTANCE OF BIRD LIFE 



'Christmas. As a general rule, small buyers 

 collect them in small lots from the farmers. 

 When sufficient have been gathered together the 

 turkeys are driven in flocks to a common butcher- 

 ing ground, where they are killed and prepared 

 for market. Although they are often driven for 

 days along the highway, their progress is slow and 

 they generally reach the place of slaughter in good 

 condition. Owing to their superior quality of 

 flesh, the demand is great, and the price of turkey 

 remains at a high level. In 1919 there were 

 birds to the value of about $13,000,000 in the 

 United States. 



The Domestic Goose 



Although in America the turkey stands second 

 io the domestic fowl in economic importance, it 

 is only slightly in advance of the goose. This, 

 so far as we know, is the most ancient of all do- 

 mesticated birds, for it was known and fattened 

 by the Egyptians 2000 years before Christ. The 

 Romans also knew it well and regarded it as a 

 sacred bird. Nevertheless, its sanctity did not 

 protect it from the Roman epicures, who deemed 

 the liver of a white goose the choicest of all 

 morsels. 



While never so popular a table dish in America 

 as in Europe, and Germany especially, geese are 



