of domesticity ; but not even pussy could put 

 hers off and go utterly wild more readily than 

 the turkey. Not an original woods trait or 

 habit seems to have been radically changed— 

 hardly altered— by all our fine efforts on the 

 birds at home and abroad. For the turkey has 

 traveled. He is strictly an American,— Mexi- 

 can, perhaps,— sailing first from Mexican shores 

 about 1526, and not returning until the Pilgrims 

 and early settlers came. He was brought back 

 a larger bird than when he first set out, but still 

 a turkey and unalterably American. 



Which does not mean that he is a good 

 American, deserving the eagle's national place. 

 The turkey is unalterable because he cannot 

 learn anything, so nearly brainless is he. The 

 father— it was the mother— of all the turkeys 

 was originally endowed with two wits and as 

 many crafty ways as she had toes. Since her 

 day no turkey-hen has gained a third wit, nor 

 learned a new way, nor forgotten one of the old 

 ones. No turkey -^roftfiZer ever had or shall have 

 any wit at all. 



From Spain, whence the turkey spread over 

 Europe, we can trace his wanderings back to the 

 [266] 



