WILD TURKEY. 
177 
throughout the world, almost universally constituting 
a favourite banquet dish. 
The turkey, belonging originally to the American 
continent, was necessarily unknown to the ancients, 
who, in this as in a thousand other instances, were 
deficient in our most common and essential articles of 
food. Readers unacquainted with the fact may well be 
surprised to learn, that, although the introduction of this 
bird into Europe is comparatively modern, its origin has 
already been lost sight of, and that eminent naturalists 
of the last century, who lived so much nearer to the time 
of its first appearance, have expressed great uncertainty 
concerning its native country. Thus Belon, Aldrovandi, 
Gessner, Ray, &c. thought that it came originally 
from Africa and the East Indies, and endeavoured to 
recognize it in some of the domestic birds of the ancients. 
Belon and Aldrovandi supposed it to have been men- 
tioned by ancient authors, but they mistook for it the 
Numida meleagris of Linne, which is actually an African 
bird, now almost naturalized in America, even in a 
wild state, so that it would be apparently more reason- 
able for America to regard that bird as indigenous, 
than that the old continent should lay claim to the 
turkey. In so soon losing sight of the origin of this 
bird, we see a strong exemplification of the ungrateful 
disposition of man, who can durably treasure up the 
memory of wrongs and injuries, but fails to recollect 
the greatest benefits he has received. It would be loss 
of time to combat the arguments advanced by authors, 
who have deceived themselves in attempting to deprive 
America of her just title to this bird, since they have 
been fully refuted by the eloquent Buffon ; but we may 
here introduce a sketch of its progress from America 
throughout Europe. 
The first unquestionable description of the turkey 
was written by Oviedo, in 1525, in the summary of 
his History of the Indies. This bird was sent from 
Mexico to Spain early in the sixteenth century; from 
Spain it was introduced into England in 1524. Turkeys 
were taken to France in the reign of Francis the First, 
VOL. IV. M 
