THE turkey, when young, is generally considered as one of the tenderest of birds; yet in its wild state it is found in great plenty in the forests of Canada, which are covered with snow above three parts of the year. It is there also much larger than in a state of captivity, and its feathers are much more beautiful, being of a dark grey, bordered at the edges with a bright gold colour.

The hunting of these animals forms one of the principal diversions of the native Indian, as their flesh contributes to the support of his family. Having discovered their retreat, he sends his dog into the midst of the flock; and though the turkeys soon outstrip their pursuer by running, he continues to follow, till he at last forces them to take shelter in a tree, whence they are knocked down by a long pole, and easily taken.

Though extremely prone to quarrel among themselves, they are in general, weak and cowardly against other animals, and are seen to fly from almost every creature that will venture boldly to oppose them. On the contrary, they pursue every thing that appears to dread them, particularly lap-dogs and children; and after having made these objects of their aversion scamper, they evince their pride and satisfaction, by displaying their plumage, strutting among their female train, and uttering their peculiar note of self-approbation. Some instances, however, have occurred, in which the turkey-cock has exhibited a considerable share of courage and prowess.

The female seems of a milder disposition than her consort. Rather querulous than bold, she hunts about in

quest of grain and insects, and is particularly fond of the eggs of ants and caterpillars. She lays about eighteen or twenty eggs, and when her young begin to follow her in search of food, she rather warns them of danger, than prepares to defend them.

NOTHING indeed can charm the eye with a greater richness and variety of ornament than this beautiful bird. The iris of the eye is yellow, and the eyes themselves are surrounded by a scarlet colour, sprinkled with small specks of black. The top of the head and upper part of the neck are tinged with a darkish green, which shines like silk, and sometimes appears to change to blue, as it is differently presented to the eye of the spectator. The plumage on the breast, the shoulders, the middle of the back, and the sides under the wings, have a blackish ground, with edges tinged of an exquisite purple, and under this is a transverse streak of gold colour. The length of the tail, from the middle feathers to the root is about eighteen inches. The plumage of the female, however, is inferior to that of the male.

The pheasant is said to have been first brought into Europe from the banks of Phasis, in Asia Minor, and to have been at first artificially propagated in this country. However, notwithstanding the coldness of our climate, and the tenderness of its constitution, it has multiplied in a wild state; and, as if despising the protection of man, has left him, to take shelter in the thickest woods and the remotest forests. In fact, this spirit of independence

seems to attend the pheasant even in captivity. In the woods, the female lays from eighteen to twenty eggs in a season; but in a domestic state she seldom produces above ten. In the same manner, when wild, she hatches and brings up her brood with patience, vigilance, and attention; but when kept tame, she sits so ill, that a hen is generally her substitute upon such occasions. On all accounts, therefore, this bird seems better adapted to range at large in the woods than to be brought up in a state of captivity. Its fecundity, when wild, is sufficient to stock the forest; its beautiful plumage adorns it; and its flesh acquires a higher and more delicious flavour from its unlimited freedom.

Of this, as of all other domestic fowl, there are several varieties; such as white, crested, and spotted pheasants; but, of all others, the golden pheasant of China, is the most beautiful.

THE PINTADA, OR GUINEA-HEN.

THIS singular bird is about the size of a common hen, but, being supported on longer legs, it looks much larger. The head is covered with a kind of helmet; the back is round: and the tail turned downward, like that of a partridge. The whole plumage is black, or dark grey, diversified with white spots; and the wattles, proceeding from the upper chap, give it a very peculiar aspect.

In many parts of Africa, these birds are seen in numerous flocks, feeding their young, or leading them in quest of food. All their habits resemble those of the poultry kind, and they agree in every other respect, except that the male and female can only be distinguished by the cocour of their wattles; those of the cock being of a bluish

cast, while in the hen they are more inclining to red. In our climate, the females lay but five or six eggs in a season; but in their native regions they are far more prolific.

THIS bird is considerably larger than the turkey, the male generally weighing from twenty-five to twenty-seven pounds. The neck is a foot long, and the legs eighteen inches. The wings, however, are not proportionable to the rest of the body, being but four feet from the tip of one to that of the other; for which reason the animal flies with great difficulty. The head and neck of the male are ash-coloured; the back is barred transversely with rustcolour and black; the belly is white, and the tail is marked with broad black bars.

Bustards are frequently seen in large flocks on Salisbury Plain, the heaths of Sussex and Cambridgeshire, the Dorsetshire uplands, and as far as East Lothian in Scotland. Their food consists of the berries that grow among the heath, and the large earth-worms that appear on the downs before sun-rising in summer; and as their native plains afford no woods to screen the sportsman, nor hedges

to creep along, as may be said to enjoy an indolent security. As it often happens, however, that they feed themselves so fat as to be incapable of flying swiftly, they are sometimes run down by greyhounds.

The female makes her nest upon the ground, by merely scraping a hole, and lining it with a little straw, or long grass. She lays two eggs, of a pale olive brown, diversified with dark spots; and the young ones run about as soon as they are hatched.

THE WOOD-GROUS, OR COCK OF THE WOOD.

THIS bird is nearly the size of a turkey, and often weighs twelve or fourteen pounds; but the female is considerably smaller. The head and neck are ash-coloured, and crossed with black lines; the body and wings of a chestnut brown; and the breast of a blackish glossy green. The plumage of the female is very different.

This bird is chiefly found in mountainous and wooded situations; though in summer he occasionally ventures from his retreats, to make short depredations on the farmer's corn. When in the recesses of the forest, he attaches himself principally to the oak and the pine-tree; the cones of the latter serving him for food, and the branches affording him a habitation. He also feeds upon cranberries, ants' eggs, and insects; and his gizzard, like that of domestic fowls, contains a quantity of gravel, which is supposed to assist his powers of digestion.

The wood-grous begins to feel the genial influence of spring at its earliest approach; and its courtship may be said to continue till the trees are entirely clothed with