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RECREATION. 



HE SHOULD BE OUR NATIONAL BIRD. 



seen clawing each other. As the matter 

 now stands, our national bird is some- 

 thing which we seldom see alive, which 

 is utterly worthless when dead, which 

 the poets have lied about, and which 

 the United States government has cari- 

 catured out of all semblance of its 

 original shape. 



Would it not be more in accordance 

 with the eternal fitness of things to re- 

 pudiate the eagle altogether, as our 

 national bird, -and set up in his place 

 that shapely, well-dressed and tooth- 

 some biped, the North American turkey ! 

 He has claims on our regard that no 

 other bird possesses ; — he is a native 

 born American, for all turkeydom had 

 its origin in the wild species found in 

 this country alone. He is the product 



of our soil, and the sweetness of his 

 flesh demonstrates that the soil is good. 

 He is a picturesque accompaniment of 

 rural life, and a succulent feature of the 

 bill of fare. For generations his wings, 

 in the housewife's hands, have been 

 potent agents for sweeping the dust 

 from the home, and his feathers have 

 made the soft beds on which tired 

 humanity has slept the sweet sleep born 

 of hard labor and a clear conscience. In 

 our tribute to his worth we should by no 

 means forget or despise those old turkey- 

 feather fans, which have been handed 

 down to us, and behind which our 

 grandmothers hid their blushes long 

 years ago. 



It is true that the turkey is proud and 

 pompous, but these are rather respect- 



