and thus were they gradually introduced into Asia,(Africa, and even.
Oceanica. r.
The French distinguished themuby. the.name ai.CoqetJPoule d’Inde,
(Uöek and Hen from India,)4bfecause( thsyffwere natives-' of the West
Indies; 'subsequently, for the sake of brevity* they.c.aned4hem®ttóö»;
an appellation which is yet retained. TheaEnglish hame is.:stiJiIwoEse,
as it cónvbys the false idea that the Turkeycoriginated in Asia, owing
to the ridiculous habit,. formerly, prevalent, <rf xaümjf ;eycry; foreign
object by the name of Turk, Indian,
Although r ite ^Turkey «is i generally considered» 'agistepidcbird,’ it
is .probable, AhaghMs mteHectqüapialifications havé mots been fairly
appreciated, as he is susceptible of ^èeyilivelys eHioMonsssi lb any new
and remarkable objeet^attracts. the attention ofuthesiEpÜè, his whole
appearance^, andit demeanour undergo a ishddfenshnd HbxtraoBdinary
change: relinquishing his peacefulsaspechwhe. boldi-yaiaises himself,
his head and neck,beeome turgid, and the wattles,!fcoman influx df
blood, glow with vivid red; he. bristles up thevfeathers1 afiltke neck
and back, ^ h tail h^vertieally.raised. and expanded like a. fans; sind
the wing feathers are extended until they. trfuchipM.e^grcfunduf^&hd§
transformed, he utters a low, humming sound, and advances wSfh a
gravte and haughtyl^timh fQ^Scasiohally:.accelerating his^Sfifeps, tan:divai
the same time, rubbing tlie tips) ©$< the primary, (feathers violently
against the earth. During these manoeuvres! hé now and then utters
a harsh, interrupted, and dissonant note, apparently expressive of the
highest.degree of rage: this, cry, sounding.like*hooft,,oorook,dorobh,
will be repeated at the pleasure of any person who should whistle, or
strike the: ear of the. bird, by any other, acute, or ;unusu£d sound. The
appearance of any red cloth is sure to awaken his anger, and induce
him to rush fearlessly on -the disagreeable object, exerting all his
power to injure or destroy it.
In connexion with the peculiar character of this bird, we may
advantageously quote the sentiments of t|ie great F ranklin, who
expressed a regret that the Turkey-should not have been preferred
to the Bald Eagle as an emblem of the United States. Certainly this
Eagle is a tyrannical and pusillanimous bird, by no means an appropriate
representative of a great and magnanimous nation, as was the
Eagle: chosen1 by the Romans.
“ Others object to the Bald Eagle,” says Franklin, in one of his
letters, - ‘as looking too much like a Dindon, or Turkey. For my
own part, I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative
.of: our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; he
does hot get his living honestly; you may have seen him perched on
some-(dead tree,where,too'lazyiito fish for himself, he watches the
labour ’of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent bird has at
length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of
his mate and young ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him, and takes it
froth liim. With all this injustice he.is never in good case, but, like
those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally
poor, and often very lousy. Besides, he is a rank coward; the little
Kingbird,» hot bigger than a Sparrow, attacks him boldly, and drives
him ottt?’?ofi .the-; district. He is; therefore, by no means a proper
emblem for the brave- and honest Cincinnati of America, who have
driven all the Kingbirds from onr country; though exactly fit for that
order of knights which the French call Chevaliers d’Industrie. I am,
on this account, not displeased that the figure is not known as a Bald
Eagle, hut looks more like a Turkey. For in truth the Turkey is,
in comparison, a much more respectable bird, and withal a true
original native of America. Eagles have been found in all countries,
hut the Turkey was peculiar to ours. He is, besides, (though a little
vain and silly, Yis true, but not the worse emblem for that,) a bird
of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the
British guards, who should presume to invade his farm-yard with a
red coat on.”
But, since the choleric temper and vanity of the Tame Turkey are
proverbial in various languages, in some of which its very name is
opprobrious, and often applied in derision to vainglorious and stupid