128 TURKEYS. 



Turkeys are natives of America, and were 

 formerly found in the forests in great abun- 

 dance. They were first taken to England in 

 the middle of the sixteenth century. They are 

 by far the largest, and, as some think, the finest 

 birds used for food in this or any other country. 

 On account of the estimation in which they are 

 held, and the price they consequently bear, 

 they become objects of attention in many poul- 

 try-yards. At Christmas time, such supplies 

 of these dainty birds are required for the city 

 of London, that coaches, it is said, are often 

 loaded with them, to the exclusion of other 

 passengers. 



Turkeys are the most tender and difficult to 

 rear of all our fowls ; so that the money they 

 fetch is sometimes scarcely a compensation for 

 the trouble and their food. They must be fed 

 for some time after they are hatched, with a sort 



