122 fllSTORY OF 



attacks of any rapacious animal that comes in her way. She 

 rather warns her young to shift for themselves, 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 mo«t 

 Hideous screams, without knowing as yet the cause : howe ver, 

 her young, immediately when the warning was given, skulked un- 

 der the bushes, the grass, or whatever else offered for shelter, ot 

 protection. They even stretched themselves at their full length 

 upon the ground, and continued lying as motionless as if they 

 were dead. In the meantime the mother, with her eyes directed 

 upwards, continued her cries and screaming as before. Upon 

 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 agi- 

 tated state, and her whole brood pinned down as it were to the 

 ground for four hoiu-s 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 conscious of their happy 

 escape from danger." 



When once grown up, turkeys are very hardy birds, and feed 

 themselves at very little expense to the farmer. Those of Nor- 

 folk are said to be the largest of this kingdom, weighing 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 to the weight of sixty pounds.* 



* A great variety of gallinaceous liirds, which might easily be added to 

 our domestic poultry, are peculiar to America. Such are especially the 

 Curassows. In many parts of South America these birds have long been 

 reclamed; and it is really surprising, considering the extreme familiarity 

 of their manners, aud the facility with which they appear to pass from a 

 Etate of nature to the lameness of domestic fowls, that they have not yet been 

 Introduced to the poultry- yards of Europe. That, with proper treatment, 

 they would speedily become habituated to the climate we have no reason 

 to doubt ; on the contrary, numerous examples have shown that they thrive 

 Tveli even in its northern parts ; and M. Temminck informs us that they 

 have once at least been thoroughly acclimated in Holland, where they were 



