TURKEYS. 101 



neighbourhood of the Black Sea*, they have nearly 

 returned to their originally wild state; and near 

 Smyrna, such immense flocks of Turkeys approach 

 in the depth of winter, that a traveller speaks of 

 purchasing four of the largest size, for about five 

 shillings. 



From the journals of travellers in the interior of 

 New Holland, we learn that a species of wild Tur- 

 key is, in some places, very abundant; the bird has 

 been described as resembling our Bustard, and is 

 remarkably shy. We have heard, from a highly- 

 respectable naturalist, of a singular instinct in their 

 mode of building their nests and hatching their 

 young. It is said, they collect a mass of fallen 

 leaves together, forming a considerable pile, in the 

 middle of which the eggs are deposited; from the 

 particular character of the trees usually found in 

 that country, the leaves are full of moisture, conse- 

 quently, when collected, they soon heat, and the 

 sagacious bird ascertains by some instinctive signs, 

 the period when the heat of the mass of leaves has 

 continued long enough to hatch the eggs, when the 

 old ones pull the heap to pieces, and, releasing the 

 broods, lead them off to the woods or plains. 



In their native wilds of North America, they herd 

 together in considerable flocks, but like the original 

 inhabitants of the country, the poor Indians, they 

 are every year becoming more scarce; driven from 

 their accustomed haunts by those who have taken 

 possession of their land. Partial as these birds 

 are to Indian corn and buck- wheat, they are very 

 destructive visiters, and the farmers, with reason, 

 * See Clarke's Travels, vol. ii. 



