THE POULTRY KIND. 



499 



CHAPTER XCI. 



THE TURKEY. 



THE natal place of the cock and the pea- 

 cock is pretty well ascertained, but there are 

 stronger doubts concerning the turkey ; some 

 contending,, that it has been brought into Eu- 

 rope from the East Indies many centuries ago; 

 while others assert, that it is wholly unknown 

 in that part of the world, that it is a native of 

 the New Continent, and that it was not brought 

 into Europe till the discovery of that part of 

 the world. 



Those who contend for the latter opinion, 

 very truly observe, that among all the descrip- 

 tions we have of eastern birds, that of the tur- 

 key is not to be found : while, on the contrary, 

 it is very well known in the New Continent, 

 where it runs wild about the woods. It is 

 said by them to have been first seen in France 

 in the reign of Francis I. and in England in 

 that of Henry VIII. which is about the time 

 when Mexico was first conquered by Spain. 

 On the other hand it is asserted, that tlie tur- 

 key, so far from being unknown in Europe 

 before that time, wts known even to the 

 ancients; and that ./Elian has given a pretty 

 just description of it. They allege, that its 

 very name implies its having been brought 

 from some pa-'t of the east ; and that it is found 

 a-aong other dainties served up to the tables 

 of the great, before that time anqong ourselves. 

 But what they pretend to be the strongest 

 proof is, that though the wild turkey be so 

 very common in America, yet the natives can- 

 not contrive to tame it ; and though hatched 

 in the ordinary manner, nothing can render it 

 domestic. In this diversity of opinions, per- 

 haps it is best to suspend assent, till more 

 lights are thrown on the subject : however, I 

 arn inclined to concur with the former opin- 

 ion. 



With us, when young, it is one of the ten- 

 derest of all birds ; yet, in its wild state, it is 

 found in great plenty in the forests of Canada, 

 that are covered with snow above three parts 

 of the year. In the natural woods, they are 

 found much larger than in their state of do- 

 No 43 & 44. 



mestic captivity. They are much more beau- 

 tiful also, their feathers being of a dark gray, 

 bordered at the edges with a bright gold colour. 

 These the savages of the country weave into 

 cloaks to adorn their persons, and fashion into 

 fans and umbrellas, but never once think of 

 taking into keeping animals that the woods 

 furnish them with in sufficient abundance. 

 Savage man seems to find a delight in precari- 

 ous possession. A great part of the pleasure 

 of the chase lies in the uncertainty of the pur- 

 suit, and he is unwilling to abridge bin. self in 

 any accidental success that may attend his 

 fatigues. The hunting the turkey, therefore, 

 makes one of his principal diversions ; as its 

 flesh contributes chiefly to the support of his 

 family. When he has discovered the plnre of 

 their retreat, which, in general, is near fields 

 of nettles, or where there is plenty of anv kind 

 of grain, he takes his dog with him, which is 

 trained to the sport, (a faithful rough creature, 

 supposed to be originally reclaimed from the 

 wolf,) and he sends him into the midst of the 

 flock. The turkeys no sooner perceive their 

 enemy, than they set off running at full speed, 

 and with such swiftness, that they leave the 

 dog far behind them ; he follows, nevertheless, 

 and sensible they must soon be tired, as they 

 cannot go full speed for any length of time, he 

 r.i last forces them to take shelter in a tree, 

 where they sit quite spent and fatigued, till 

 the hunter comes up, and, with a long pole, 

 knocks them down, one after the other. 



This manner of suffering themselves to be 

 destroyed, argues no great instinct in the ani- 

 mal ; and, indeed, in their captive state, they 

 do not appear to be possessed of much. 

 They seem a stupid, vain, querulous tribe, apt 

 enough to quarrel among themselves, yet with- 

 out any weapons to do each other any injury. 

 Every body knows the strange antipathy the 

 turkey-cock has to a red colour ; how he 

 bristles, and, with his peculiar gobbling sound, 

 flies to attack it. But there is another method 

 of increasing the animosity of these birds 



4D 



