242 NATURAL HISTORY 
more difguftful. The voice of the goofe is trumpet-like, anJ 
clanking; and once faved the Capitol at RomCf as grave hiftorians 
affert : the hils alfo of the gander is formidable and full of menace, 
and " protedive of his young." Among ducks the fexual dlf- 
tinftion of voice is remarkable ; for, while the qmck of the female 
is loud and fonorous, the voice of the drake is inward and harfn, 
and feeble, and Icarce difcernible. The cock turkey ftruts and 
gobbles to his miftrefs in a moil uncouth manner ; he hath alfo 
a pert and petulant note when he attacks his adverfary. When a 
hen turkey leads foith her young brood fhe keeps a^ watchful eye ;. 
and if a bird of prey appear, though ever fo high in the 
air, the careful mother announces the enemy with a little inward 
moan, and watches him with a fteady and attentive look ; but,, 
if he approach, her note becomes earnefl: and alarming, and 
her outcries are redoubled. 
No inhabitants of a yard feem poffefled of fuch a variety of 
exprcfiion and fo copious a language as common poultry. 
Take a chicken of four or five days old, and hold it up to a 
window where there are flies, and it will immediately feize it's 
prey, with little twitterings of complacency ; but if you tender 
it a v/afp or a bee, at once it's note becomes harfli, and expreffive 
of difapprobation and a fenfe of danger. When a pullet is ready 
to lay flie intimates the event by a joyous and eafy foft note. 
Of all the occurrences of their life that of laying feems to be the 
moft important ; for no fooner has a hen difburdened herfelf, than 
flie rullies forth with a clamorous kind of joy, which the cock and 
the reft of his miftrefles immediately adopt. The tumult is not 
confined to the family concerned, but catches from yard to yard, 
and fpreads to every homeftead within hearing, till at laft the whole 
village is in an uproar. As foon as a hen becomes a mother 
her 
