THE WILD TURKEY. 
113 
the tops of the lofty trees, an4 gleams upon 
the blossoms of the magnolia, the turkey gives 
him a salutation. Then another turkey, in a 
neighbouring tree, catches up the watchword 
and passes it to another ; and so on, till the 
forest rings with "the sound, and all living 
creatures wake up, and come forth to another 
day of life and enjoyment. 
The turkey is a splendid bird, and you can 
have but little idea of him from seeing him in 
a tame condition. He has. got weak and de- 
generate, and lost much of his sharpness and 
sagacity ; and his plumage is not half so 
brilliant. In his native woods, it gleams with 
a rich golden bronze, and is ^tinged with blue 
violet and green, each feather ending in a 
black band of metallic lustre. Then, he is much 
larger and stronger, and when he is brought 
into the poultry yard, heartily despises his do- 
mesticated kinsfolk. Indeed, he becomes quite a 
tyrant, and drives them about just as he pleases. 
I will give you a little sketch of the tur- 
key's life and manners in his native forest. 
He is Yery fond of acorns, and thrives upon 
them so well as to get extremely plump and 
handsome. But his love for acorns leads him, 
H 
