BIUDS. 1*21 



The female seems of a milder, gentler disposition. Kather 

 querulous than bold, she hunts about in quest of grain, iuul 

 pursuit of insects, being partieularly delighted with the eggs of 

 ants and caterpillars. She lays eighteen or twenty eggs, larger 

 til an those of a hen, whitish, but marked with spots resembling 

 t he freckles of the face. Her young are extremely 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 distances, in pursuit of insect 

 food, which they prefer to any other. On these occasions, 

 however, the female, though so large, and, as it would seem, so 

 powerful a bird, gives them but very little protection against the 



t<>mber, and approach inhabi tod plares ; accordingly, the natives of North 

 America call this season the turkey month. They thou hunt them, and kill 

 great numbers, which are preserved in ice, and brought into the Europeaji 

 establishments. The wild turkeys are now to be met with only very far in 

 the interior. They are extremely shy, and though their flight is lieavy, 

 they know so well how to escape and conceal themselves, that tliey are 

 discovered with dilficulty. Those that are brought up in their native coun . 

 try, and which lead a rural life, and are never shut up, have yet become as 

 degenerate as those of our poultry yards in Europe. 



The turkey is unquestionably the largest of our poultry. Its usual 

 length is three feet and a half, from the end of the bill to the extremity of 

 the tail. Its height, about two feet, measuring from the soles to the sum 

 mit of the head. The envergure is about four feet. 



Turkey-hens are far from being as profitable, generally speaking, as our 

 common hens. They have need of stimulating food, to excite them Xn lay, 

 such as hempsecd and buck-n-heat. They have, however, \\\o broods 

 usually in the year, of about fifteen eggs, often less, especially in northern 

 climates. The eggs are white, with some small spots of reddish yellow. 

 The young ones on coming forth from the c^^ are \exy weak, and most 

 assiduous care is requisite for the preservation of their existence. The 

 strong sun kills them almost immediately. The frost gives them cold ; but 

 It is chiefly in wet weather that it is necessary to shelter them, without 

 which they are certain to perish. Even the dew is pernicious to them. 

 An elevated situation, and a dry sandy soil, suit them best j and oven there 

 it requires exceeding attention to turn them to any profit. 



Turkeys are polygamous, and a single cock suffices for twelve or fifteeii 

 /emales. These females will serve for about five years, but the hens of two 

 and three years old hatch the most assiduously. Those of but one year do 

 not pay sufficient attention to their brood. The strongest and largest 

 should always be chosen for this purpose. It happens more frequently with 

 tliem than with hens that the eggs are sterile. In the cold parts of Europe, 

 the female turkey has but one brood in the year, which usually takes plac^ 

 in March or April ; but in countries exposed to a milder temperature, sh« 

 has two : the firpt in I'ebruary, the second in August. 



III. L 



