THE POULTRY KIND. 145 



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 suffocated 

 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 

 often makes the turkey keep at a distance ; and 

 they seldom venture to attack him but with unit- 

 ed force, when they rather oppress him by their 

 weight than annoy him by their arms. There 

 is no animal, how contemptible 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 aversion. 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-appro- 

 bation. 



The female seems of a milder, gentler dispo- 

 sition. Rather querulous than bold, she hunts 

 about in quest of grain, and in pursuit of insects, 

 being particularly delighted with the eggs of ants 

 and caterpillars. She lays eighteen or twenty 

 eggs, larger than those of a hen, whitish, but 

 marked with spots resembling the freckles of the 

 face. Her young are extremely tender at first, 



VOL. IV. K 



