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A HISTORY OF 



against each other, which is often practised by 

 boys, when they have a mind for a battle. 

 This is no more than to smear over the head 

 of one of the turkeys with dirt, and the rest 

 run to attack it, with all the speed of impotent 

 animosity : nay, two of them, thus disguised, 

 will fight each other till they are almost suf- 

 focated with fatigue and anger. 



But though so furious among themselves, 

 they are weak and cowardly against other 

 animals, though far less powerful than they. 

 The cock oftdn makes the turkey keep at a 

 distance ; and they seldom venture to attack 

 him but with united force, when they rather 

 oppress him by their weight, than annoy him 

 by their arms. There is no animal, how con- 

 temptible soever, that will venture boldly to 

 face the turkey-cock, that he will not fly from. 

 On the contrary, with the insolence of a bully, 

 he pursues any thing that seems to fear him, 

 particularly lap-dogs and children, against 

 both which he seems to have a peculiar aver- 

 sion. On such occasions, after he has made 

 them scamper, he returns to his female train, 

 displays his plumage around, struts about the 

 yard, and gobbles out a note of self-approba- 

 tion." 



The female seems of a milder, gentler dis- 

 position. Rather querulous than bold, she 

 hunts about in quest of grain, and pursuit of 

 insects, being particularly delighted with the 

 eggs of ants and caterpillars. She lays eigh- 

 teen or twenty eggs, larger than those of a 

 lien, whitish, but marked with spots resembling 

 the freckles of the face. Her young are ex- 

 tremely tender at first, and must be carefully 

 fed with curd chopped with dock leaves ; but 

 as they grow older, they become more hardy, 

 and follow the mother to considerable distan- 

 ces, in pursuit of insect food, which they pre- 

 fer to any other. On these occasions, how- 

 ever, the female, though so large, and, as it 



In the American Medical Repository, an instance is 

 recorded, where the turkey-cock seemed to show a con- 

 siderable share of courage and prowess. A gentleman of 

 New-York received from a distant part a turkey-cock and 

 lien, and with them a pair of bantams : these lie put all 

 together into the yard with liis other poultry. Some time 

 afterwards, as he was feeding them from the barn door, a 

 large hawk suddenly turned the corner of the barn, and 

 made a pounce at the bantam hen : she immediately gave 



would seem, so powerful a bird, gives them 

 but very little protection against the attacks of 

 any rapacious animal that comes in her way. 

 She rather warns her young to shift for them- 

 selves, than prepares to defend them. " I have 

 heard," says the Abbe la Pluche, "a turkey- 

 hen, when at the head of her brood, send forth 

 the most hideous screams, without know ing 

 as yet the cause: however, her young, imme- 

 diately when the warning was given, skulked 

 under the bushes, the grass, or whatever else 

 offered for shelter or protection. They even 

 stretched themselves at their lull length upon 

 the ground, and continued lying as motionless 

 as if they were dead. In the mean time the 

 mother, with her eyes directed upwards, con- 

 tinued her cries and screaming as before. Up- 

 on looking up to where she seemed to gaze, 

 I discovered a black spot just under the clouds, 

 but was unable at first to determine what it 

 was ; however, it soon appeared to be a bird 

 of prey, though at first at too great a distance 

 to be distinguished. I have seen one of these 

 animals continue in this violent agitated state, 

 and her whole brood pinned down as it were 

 to the ground, for four hours together ; whilst 

 their formidable foe has taken his circuits, has 

 mounted, and hovered directly over their heads: 

 at last, upon disappearing, the parent began 

 to change her note, and sent forth another cry, 

 which, in an instant, gave life to the whole 

 trembling tribe, and they all flocked round 

 her with expressions of pleasure, as if consci- 

 ous of their happy escape from danger." 



When once grown up, turkeys are very har- 

 dy birds, and feed themselves at very little ex- 

 pense to the farmer. Those of Norfolk are 

 said to be the largest of this kingdom, weigh- 

 ing from twenty to thirty pounds. There are 

 places, however, in the East Indies, where 

 they are known only in their domestic state, in 

 which they grow r to the weight of sixty pounds. 



the alarm, by a noise which is natural to her on such oc- 

 casions ; when the turkey-cock, who was at the distance 

 of about two yards, and without doubt understood the 

 hawk's intentions, and the immediate danger of his old 

 acquaintance, flew at the tyrant with such violence, and 

 gave him so severe a stroke with his spurs, as to knock 

 him from the hen to a considerable distance; and the 

 timely aid of this friendly auxiliary, completely saved the 

 bantam from being devoured. 



