142 HISTORY OF 



the Peacock of Thibet, is the most beautiful of 

 the feathered creation, containing in its plumage 

 all the most vivid colours, red, blue, yellow, and 

 green, disposed in an almost artificial order, as if 

 merely to please the eye of the beholder. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE TURKEY. 



THE natal place of the cock and peacock is 

 pretty well ascertained, but there are stronger 

 doubts concerning the Turkey ; some contending 

 that it has been brought into Europe from the 

 East Indies many centuries ago, while others as- 

 sert that it is wholly unknown in that part of 

 the world, that it is a native of the New Conti- 

 nent, 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 descriptions we 

 have of Eastern birds, that of the turkey 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 

 the First, and in England in that of Henry the 

 Eighth ; which is about the time that Mexico was 

 first conquered by Spain. On the other hand it 



