of the Turkey. 7 ~ 
parifh of Ambrofden in Buckinghamfhire, among 
other articles, fix Mut ilones and fix Africans 
fcemince % for this fowl was familiarly known by 
the names of Afra Avis and Gallina Africana 
and Numida. It was introduced into Italy from 
Africa, and from Rome into our country. They 
were negledted here by reafon of their tendernefs 
and difficulty of rearing. We do not find them 
in the bills of fare of our ancient feafts t ; nei- 
ther do we find the Turkey: which laft argu- 
ment amounts to almoft a certainty, that fuch a 
hardy and princely bird had not found its way to 
us. The other likewife was then known by its 
claffical name ; for that judicious writer Dodlor 
caius defcribes, in the beginning of the reign of 
Elizabeth, the Guinea fowl, for the benefit of 
his friend gesner, under the name of Meleagris, 
beftowed on it by Aristotle j. 
Having denied,' on the very heft authorities, 
that the Turkey ever exifted as a native of the old 
world, I muft now bring my proofs of its being 
only .a native of the new, and^f the period in 
which it firft made its appearance in Europe., 
but of The firft precife defcription of thefe birds is 
America, given by.oviEDo, who in 1525 drew up a fum- 
mary of his greater work, the Hiftory of the 
* kennet’s Parochial Antiq. 287, 
f Neither in that of george nevil nor among the delicacies mentioned 
in the Northumberland houlhold book begun in the beginning of the reign of 
HENRY VIII. 
} caii Opufc, 13. Hill. An. lib. VI, c, 2. 
Indies, 
