NATURALISTS CABINET. 



Hunted in Canada. 



lower order, is of a rusty white colour, mottled 

 with black, and crossed with numerous narrow- 

 waved lines of the same colour, and near the end 

 with a broad band. 



The turkey is one of the most difficult birds to 

 rear of any that we have ; and yet, in its wild 

 state, it is found in great plenty, in the forests of 

 Canada, that are covered with snow above three- 

 fourths of the year. They are particularly fond 

 of the seeds of nettles ; but the seeds of the fox 

 glove are a deadly poison to them. 



The hunting of these birds forms one of the 

 principal diversions of the natives of Canada. 

 When they have discovered the retreat of the 

 turkies, which in gen-eral is near fields of nettles, 

 or where there is plenty of any kind of grain, 

 they send a well-trained dog into the midst of 

 the flock. The birds no sooner perceive their 

 enemy, than they run off at full speed, and with 

 ?uch swiftness, that they leave the dog far be- 

 hind. He, however, follows ; and, as they can- 

 not go at this rate for any length of time, at last 

 forces them to take shelter in a tree : where they 

 sit, perfectly spent and fatigued, till the hunters 

 come up, and with long poles knock them down, 

 one after another. 



Turkies are among themselves extremely furi- 

 ous, and yet against other animals they are ge- 

 nerally weak and cowardly. The domestic cock 

 often makes them keep at a distance ; and the 

 latter seldom venture to attack him but with 



