164 THE TURKEY. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



The Turkey. Its Origin. Food in Summer chiefly Insects. 

 Treatment of the Young. To be guarded against Wet. 

 Mongrels. Caponizing. The Christmas and Thanksgiving 

 Turkey. 



THE Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo of 

 Linnaeus) is one of the noblest of the feath- 

 ered tribe which has been made subservient 

 to the use of mankind. It is a native of this 

 country, where it was found domesticated 

 by the first European discoverers. There 

 is another species in Honduras, Yucatan, 

 and other places in South America, M. ocel- 

 lata, but I have not learned whether it has 

 ever been domesticated. The common tur- 

 key is still found in a wild state in some 

 parts of New- York, and in the adjoining 

 States of New-Jersey and Pennsylvania. 



It is difficult to imagine how the absurd 

 English name of turkey came to be applied 

 to this noble bird. Probably it arose frorr 

 the ignorant belief in England that it came 



