The Cecil Whig., 1885-12-05
I..ap.-- }e'n', Sa'"'id', Historical.
An Original WING Feature.
ABOUT THE TURKEY.

AS the king festival of the holiday sea-
neutrality-suspicious., plum pud-
ding and the turkey become prominent
topics of comment. There are many
ways of discussing the turkey, the best,
perhaps, being to partake of him at some
banqueting table in all his stuffed deli
ciousness. But writer in late num-
ber of the Bdzdr makes him the subject
of a brilliant essay, as follows:
1t was Benjamin Franklin's emphati-
cally expressed opinion that the eagle,
by reason of its cowardice and thievish
habits, was utterly untitled to be our
represe ntative bird. And the verdict of
the American people, as announced at
least twice in each year, to wit, Thanks
giving Day and Christmas, substantially
indorses the dictum of the philosopher.
And it must not be supposed that the
turkey as an American institution is
modern American product. for there is
ample evidence that the inhabitants of
Mexico, at the time of the discovery of
this continent, kept the bird in domes- :
ticated state. Indeed, it is known that
MoGtezuma, who had fine geological
garden, fed great numbers of turkeys to
his wild beasts every day.
The conquering Spaniards were not
slow to see and appreciate the good quail
tiles of the turkey, and in 1926, or with
in eight years after the discovery of
Mexico, it was already an occupant of
the Christian poultry yard, not only on
the mainland, but in the West India
Islands as we'll. Fifteen years later it
was introduced into England as rare
bird; but so quietly did the noble crea
ture win its way to popular esteem tLat Z
by the end of thirty-two years more it
was the grand dish at the farmers
Christmas dinner. France was some-
what behind England in becoming ac- :
quairted with the turkey, though from +
its first appearance in that country the .
utmost honor was accorded to it. In .
1870, when the bird was almost common
in England, the first turkeys ever raised
or eaten in France were served at the
marriage feast of King Charles IN. 1t
is from the Mexican variety of wild tur-
key that our domestic turkey is derived ,
"a seemingly doubtful assumption until \
it is remembered that our domestic bird /
was brought to this country from Eng I
land, which had its supply from Mexico. /
In the early days the wild turkey of
Northern and Eastern North America
was very abundant; but it naturally was
driven back by the advance of civiliza- I
tion, and now, like the native human in
habitants, it is seldom found except in 4
the West, and there in constantly de- 4
creasing numbers. In fact, its complete
determination is a question only of time. /
Unlike many of our bids, the wild tur-
key is not migratory, but remains with
| us throughout the year. A seemingly
migratory movement takes place when 4
the scattered groups of birds gather in
one large band and travel from one part
of the country to another; but this !
NOV ement is for food, not for change of /.
climate. III tie matter of eating, as in +.
many other particulars the wild turkey
is like its domestic relation-a giut..2n s
1t eats until all food is gone, and then
travels off to find more Like most other
gluttonously feeding animals, it can ex 3
ist long time without eating anything
an attribute which stands it in good
stead when heavy fall of snow comes,
and so covers the ground as to hide the
food upon which the turkey depends. 1t
will sometimes pass five or six days.
perched upon the limb of tree waiting
dejectedly for the snow to melt away.
When the necessity for seeking better,
feeding grounds has come, the small
family parties which have been foraging.
on their own account gradually collect
together and in bands of seventy-five or
one hundred set off Oh foot. At this
time the old male birds are sternly or
dered to keep in separate body, and
hold themselves aloof from the family
parties. The reason for this peculiar
regulation is that the old rascals, moved
by jealousy, will at every convenient op-
portunity kill the younger male birds.
This unnatural conduct of the fathers
toward their offspring begins from the
moment the hen has laid her eggs. If
she be not careful to hide her nest, her
lord and master will ruthlessly destroy
it and break open the eggs. 1t is only
when the young bird is full-grown that
he can hope to escape the viudicive pur-
suit of his elders; and even then, should
he cross an older turkey in his love-mak4
ing, he will have to fight for his life. 1t
is usually toward the latter part of Octo+
ber that the birds move about the coun-
try in search of food. The little ones
prefer berries and worms, but the old
birds are ravenously fond of wild grapes
and the oily pecan-nuts. Upon these
they providentially fatten and become
tender and juicy in time for Thanksgiv,
ing and Christmas dinners. 1t is notice
able that the turkeys always proceed OF
foot, never taking wing unless forced tc
do so by some such obstacle as river
Man, of course, is the wild turkeys most
destructive foe; but besides man it ha,
other enemies, who display their love o
good eating by constant warfare upoI
the succulent bird. The wildcat an6
the owl are the most dreaded by the tur
key, because these two can reach it eveI
in its place of security, the high branche,
of the cotton wood tree. The wildcat i
can avoid if it becomes aware of it's pres
ence, but the owl is more difficult t.
escape from. According to Audubon
who is an undoubted authority, the tur
key, in its endeavor to escape from tht
owl, has recourse to an expedient which
by way of contrast to its usual dullness
is exceedingly bright. The snowy ow
is the particular bird mentioned in Au
dubon's account, but it is said that th
same device is resorted to by the turkes
to thwart the great horned owl, which
the greatest poultry thief in this coun
try. The snowy owl is one of the larges
as well as one of the most beautiful
the owls. 1t is not as swift in flight
the great horned owl, but it is a goo
hunter, and seldom fails of meal wher