

36 THE TURKEY. 



and it is pretty generally agreed that it was never known in 

 Europe till after the discovery of America. All these circum- 

 stances combined, afford, if not a convincing proof, at least a 

 strong conviction that it is indigenous only in the new continent. 



In England, the turkey when young is exceedingly tender, 

 and is reared with great difficulty; yet in its wild state it 

 abounds in the forests of Canada, where the ground is covered 

 with snow almost three parts of the year. In their native woods 

 they are also much larger, as well as more hardy, than in a state 

 of domestication. 



In beauty also they far excel the European breed. Their 

 feathers, which are of a dark grey, and bordered at the edge 

 with a bright gold colour, are woven by the savages of the 

 country into cloaks for the ornament of their persons. They 

 also fashion them into fans and umbrellas ; but never think of 

 domesticating those creatures, of which the woods furnish a suf- 

 ficient supply ; for man in a savage state extends not his views 

 beyond precarious possession. The hunting of the turkey is one 

 of the principal diversions of the natives, and the flesh furnishes 

 them with a frequent supply of delicate food. When the hunter 

 has discovered the retreat of a flock of turkeys, he takes his dog 

 and sends him among them. The turkeys no sooner perceive 

 their enemy than they set off, running at full speed, and with 

 such swiftness as to leave the dog far behind. As they cannot, 

 however, keep up their speed for any great length of time, they 

 at last take shelter in a tree, where they sit, quite spent and fa- 

 tigued until the hunter comes up, and with a long pole knocks 

 them down one after another. 



Turkeys do not seem to possess, either in their wild or do- 

 mesticated state, any very great degree of instinct. In the for- 

 mer we do not find them use any cunning to elude the pursuit 

 of the hunter, and in the latter they seem heavy and stupid ; and, 

 although furious among themselves, are remarkably timid among 

 animals of a different species. They may, however, be ranked 

 among the most useful fowls of the farm-yard ; for, notwithstand- 

 ing the tenderness of their constitution when young, they are 

 hardy when grown up, and feed themselves with little trouble or 

 expense to the farmer. Some of them weigh from twenty to 

 thirty pounds, and constitute an excellent article of food. 



The following singular instance of a deviation from instinct in 

 a creature of this species, as related in the " New Transactions 

 of the Academy of Sciences at Stockholm," is particularly 

 worthy of attention. In the month of May, 1728, a female tur- 

 kev vvns sitting upon eggs, and as the cock began to appear de- 

 jected in her absence, he was put into the place with her. He im- 

 mediately sat down bv her side, and soon afterwards took some 



