THE TURKEY. 161 



least eight or ten hours ; if hatched in the afternoon, till 

 the following morning. Then place her on the grass, in 

 the sun, under a roomy coop. If the weather be fine, 

 she may be stationed where you choose, by a long piece 

 of flannel list tied round one leg, and fastened to a stake 

 or a stone. But the boarded coop saves her ever- 

 watchful anxiety from the dread of enemies above and be- 

 hind — the crow, the raven, the hawk, the rat, the weasel ; 

 and also protects herself — she will protect her young — ■ 

 from the sudden showers of summer. Offer at first a 

 few crumbs of bread ; the little ones, for some hours, 

 will be in no hurry to eat; but when they do begin, 

 supply them constantly and abundantly with chopped 

 egg, shreds of meat and fat, curd, boiled rice, mixed with 

 cress, lettuce, and the green of onions. Melted mutton 

 suet poured over barley or Indian-meal dough, and cut 

 up when cold ; also, bullock's liver boiled and minced, 

 are excellent things. Barley or Indian meal, mixed 

 thick and stiff with water or milk, nettle tops, leeks, and 

 many other things, might be added to the list ; but it is 

 probable that a few of these may now and then be re- 

 fused by some fanciful little rogues. Little turkeys do 

 not like their food to be minced much smaller than they 

 can swallow it; indolently preferring to make a meal at 

 three or four mouthfuls to troubling themselves with the 

 incessant pecking and scratching in which chickens so 

 much delight. But at any rate, the quantity consumed 

 costs but little; the attention to supply it is everything. 



The young of the turkey afford a remarkable instance 

 of hereditary and transmitted habits. From having 

 been tended for many generations with so much care, 

 they appear naturally to expect it almost as soon as they 

 are released from the shell. We are told that young 

 pointers, the descendants of well-educated dogs, will 

 point at the scent of game without any previous 

 training ; and so turkey chicks seem to wait for the at- 

 tention of man before they can have any experience of 

 the value or nature of those attentions. Food which 

 they would refuse from a platter, they will peck greed- 

 ily from the palm of a hand ; a crumb which would be 

 disdained, if seen accidentally on the ground, will be 



