119 HISTORY OP 



CHAP. IV. 



THE TURKEY. 



The natal place of the cock and the peacock is pretty wtll 

 ascertained, but there are stronger doubts concerning the tur. 

 key, some contending that it has been brought into Europe 

 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 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 I. and in England in that of Henry VIH. 

 which is about the time when Mexico was first conquered by 

 Spain. On the other hand it is asserted, that the turkey, so 

 far from being unknown in Europe before that time, was known 

 even to the ancients ; and that ^lian has given a pretty just de- 

 scription of it. They allege, that its very name implies it3 

 having been brought from some part of the east; and that it is 



an orange one ; the legs and claws are brn\vii ; and on the hack part of each 

 leg are two spurs, one above the other. The female is a third smaller than 

 tlie male. The head, neck, and under parts are brown ; the head smooth ; 

 the upper parts are also brown, and the feathers marked with a dull blue 

 spot surrounded with dirty orange ; the feathers which cover the tail are 

 similar, but marked at the end with an obscure dull oval spot of blue ; the 

 legs have no spurs. 



TAe Thiliet Peacock. — The Thibet peacock is about two feet and two 

 inches long. The bill is above an inch and a half long, and cinereous ; the 

 iris yellow ; the head, neck, and under parts are ash-coloiu-ed, marked 

 with blackish lines ; the witig-coverts, back, and rump are grey, with 

 small white dots ; besides which, on the wing-coverts and back are 

 large round spots, of a fine blue, changing in difl'erent lights to violet 

 and green gold ; the quills and ujjper tail-covcrts are also grey, marked 

 with blackish lines : the quills have two round blue spots on each, like 

 those of the coverts ; on the outer webs and on each tail-feather, there are 

 four of the same, two on each side of the web ; the middle coverts are the 

 longest, the others shorten by degrees ; the legs are grey, furnished with 

 two spurs behind ; the claws are biackish. This bird is a native of the 

 kingdom of Tliibet, in Asi.-i. 



