157. _The TURKEY_ (Meleagris gallo-pavo) _is found wild in the woods of
America, and is distinguished by its forehead and chin having a red and
naked shin, and the breast of the male being tufted._
Wild turkeys are hunted with dogs by the inhabitants of those parts of
America where they are found. As soon as their haunts are discovered, the
hunters send into the flock a dog that has been trained to this pursuit.
The turkeys do not attempt to escape by flight, but run before him until
they become fatigued, when they seek for safety in the trees. The dog gives
notice to his followers of the places where they are concealed, and they
are then easily knocked off the branches with poles, and secured.
Such is the size of these birds that they frequently weigh more than forty
pounds each. The Indians not only esteem them as food, but make an elegant
clothing of the _feathers_. The webs of these they twist, into a double
string, with hemp or the inner bark of the mulberry-tree, and work or weave
them somewhat, like matting. The article thus produced is said to have a
rich and glossy appearance, and to be as fine in texture as silk shag. The
inhabitants of Louisiana make fans of the tails; and the French, in the
American colonies, used formerly to construct parasols by joining four of
these tails together.
It does not appear that turkeys were known in England anterior to the reign
of Henry the Eighth; and it is supposed that the first of these birds which
appeared in Europe were brought from Mexico, after the conquest of that
country, in 1521.
These birds, in a domestic state, subsist on grain and insects, and breed
early in the spring; the females, whenever they have opportunity, wander to
a considerable distance from the poultry yards to construct their nests,
and lay and hatch their eggs. These are from fourteen to seventeen in
number, of large size, and white colour, marked with reddish or yellow
freckles. Young turkeys are so tender as to require much attention in
rearing them. The housewives of Sweden frequently plunge them into cold
water the day they are hatched; and, after having forced each of them to
swallow a pepper-corn, restore them to the care of the parent.
Few birds are more in request for the table than these. The principal
countries in which they are fed are Norfolk and Suffolk; and, about
Christmas, the demand for them in London is so great that the coaches are
sometimes laden with them, even to the exclusion of living passengers.
Occasionally turkeys are driven along the roads in flocks of several
hundreds together, the drivers having no other implement for keeping them
in order, than a long stick with a piece of scarlet rag tied at the end, to
which colour they have a very extraordinary antipathy.
158. _The PEACOCK_ (Pavo cristatus) _is a well-known bird, a native of
the woods of the East Indies and other parts of Asia, as well as of
several parts of Africa._
_It is peculiarly distinguished by having on its head a crest of
twenty-four feathers, and, a single hard spur at the back of each leg.
The male has, over its tail, several feathers, sometimes four or five
feet in length, and each marked, at the extremity, with an eye-like spot:
the real tail consists of a range of short, brown, and stiff feathers,
which are beneath these._
In some parts of the East Indies the shooting of wild peacocks is not an
uncommon diversion, and the size and heavy flight of the birds are such
that it does not require a good marksman to bring them down.
Peacocks are mentioned, in the Sacred Writings, as constituting part of the
cargoes of the fleet which conveyed the various treasures of the East to
the court of King Solomon. They were so much esteemed for the table, by the
Romans, that one person, who had devised a mode of fattening them, obtained
thereby alone an annual income equal to about 500l. of our money. In
England these birds were formerly introduced at sumptuous dinners, and
sometimes the skin and all the feathers, particularly those of the tail,
were kept to serve them up in. The flesh of the old birds is coarse and
unfit for food; but young pea-fowls are at this day much esteemed by
epicures.
The _train feathers_ of the peacock are used among the Chinese for
ornamental work of different kinds, and particularly for decorating the
caps of the mandarins; and they are an article of traffic from the East
Indies to that country. Peacocks' _crests_, in ancient times, were among
the ornaments of the kings of England; and it appears from records that, in
fines to the crown, these crests were sometimes among the articles to be
paid.
Pea-fowls are fed in the same manner as turkeys (157); and the females,
when allowed to range at liberty, always deposit their eggs in some
sequestered place. These birds are very injurious in gardens, from their
scratching up the ground in search of food. They love to perch on the
highest trees; and their voice is a harsh scream in two notes, one of which
is an octave of the other.
159. _The COMMON PHEASANT_ (Phasianus colchicus, Fig. 34) _is
distinguished by the general reddish chesnut colour of its plumage, its
head and neck being blue, and each eye being surrounded with a red,
naked, and warty skin._
_There is a small and moveable tuft of feathers on each side of the head.
The plumage of the female is much less brilliant and beautiful than that
of the male._
_These birds, though now found wild in our woods, are supposed to have
been originally brought into Europe from the banks of the Phasis, a river
of Colchis, in Asia, situated to the East of the Black Sea. Pheasants are
also found in other parts of Asia, and in Africa._
These birds constitute a rich and wholesome nutriment. They breed in woods
and fields, forming their nests, upon the ground, in places where the
herbage is thick and close; and laying from twelve to fifteen eggs. These
are sometimes taken away and committed to the care of poultry hens, which
will hatch them, and rear the young ones as their own. Pheasants feed on
corn, wild berries, beech-mast, acorns, and other similar food. They roost
on the branches of trees, and, in the short days of winter, generally fly
into them for this purpose about sun-set; the male birds making a noise,
which they repeat three or four times successively, called "cocketing," and
the hens uttering one shrill whistle. Poachers, well acquainted with these
sounds, easily discover the place, and either shoot them on their perch,
bring them down by burning sulphur underneath, or catch them by a snare
made of brass-wire, and fixed to the end of a long pole. They are also
caught by snares placed in tracks through which they are known to run,
towards the adjacent fields, to feed.
If noblemen and gentlemen of extensive landed property did not preserve the
breed of pheasants by forbidding them, except under certain regulations, to
be destroyed, the race would soon be extinct in this country.
160. _The ARGUS PHEASANT_ (Phasianus argus) _is a splendid bird, of pale
yellow colour, spotted with black, the feathers of the wings grey, with
eye-like spots; and the two middle feathers of the tail very long, with
similar spots._
_It is a native of Chinese Tartary, the inland of Sumatra, and other
parts of the East, and is about the size of a turkey._
The beauty of the plumage of the argus pheasants, but particularly of their
wing feathers, and the two long feathers of the tail, has rendered them
objects of considerable attention. These feathers were, some years ago, in
considerable request in England as an ornament in female head-dress; but
from their natural stiffness both of texture and appearance, they are at
present but little regarded.
In their native country these birds are killed as food, their _flesh_ being
as much esteemed as that of the common pheasant is with us.
161. _DOMESTIC POULTRY_ (Phasianus gallus, Fig. 35) _are birds of the
pheasant tribe, and found in a wild state in some of the forests of
India, and the Indian islands._
There are few birds so important to mankind as these. Whilst living, they
supply us with eggs; and when dead, their bodies afford us food, and their
feathers are useful for making beds.
It is said that hens will sometime lay as many as two hundred _eggs_ in
twelve months. The chickens are naturally produced by the warmth of the
parents sitting upon them, and generally in about three weeks after the
operation has commenced. In Egypt, however, it is customary to hatch
chickens in ovens by artificial heat. These ovens are sometimes so large as
to contain from 40,000 to 80,000 eggs; and it has been calculated that more
than 100,000,000 of chickens are annually brought to life in this manner. A
similar mode of hatching them was, some years ago, introduced into France
by M. de Reaumur; but the practice does not appear to have been much
followed.
Some villages in Sussex are famous for poultry, which are fattened to a
size and perfection not known elsewhere. They are fed on ground oats made
into gruel, by a mixture with hog's grease, sugar, pot-liquor, and milk; or
on ground oats, treacle, suet, &c. They are kept warm, and crammed for
about a fortnight before they are sold to the higlers. The cramming is
performed by rolling their food into pieces of sufficient size to be passed
down their throats. When full grown these fowls weigh six or seven pounds,
and are sold at four shillings and sixpence or five shillings each. What
are called _Darking fowls_ are a very large breed which are also reared in
Sussex.
To ascertain whether eggs are fresh, some persons hold them up against a
strong light, to see that the white has not lost its transparency; others
put their tongue to the large end, and if this feel warm they are
considered to be good. If, on shaking them, they are heard to rattle, they
are bad. It is said that eggs may be preserved, for many months, by being
covered with a thin coat of mutton suet, or other fat substance; but
perhaps a better mode than this would be to cover them with a cheap
varnish, by which, as well as by the fat, the air would be prevented from
penetrating the shells, and thereby rendering the eggs putrid.
Eggs are an agreeable and nourishing food, and are used in various ways in
cookery. The whites are of use in medicine. They have been employed with
advantage in burns, and have been recommended as a specific for the cure of
jaundice. They are likewise used by gilders and artisans. The yolks are
employed in medicine in several different ways, but most frequently in
emulsions. The shells of eggs serve for various purposes, but chiefly as a
white colour, in painting, which is considered preferable to that called
flake white.
The _feathers_ of poultry are used, to considerable extent, for making
beds, pillows, and bolsters; but they are by no means so excellent as those
of geese.
162. _The GUINEA-FOWL, GALLINA, or PINTADO_ (Numidia meleagris), _is an
African bird, which is now domesticated in most parts of Europe, and is
known by the red or bluish wattles, under the throat, a naked
protuberance on the head, their slender neck, and beautifully spotted
plumage._
The flesh of Guinea fowls is tender and sweet, and, by some persons, is
thought to resemble that of the pheasant. In Guinea and the adjacent parts
of Africa, their native country, where they are not unfrequently seen in
flocks of two or three hundred together, they are hunted and caught by
dogs. These birds chiefly delight in marshy and morassy places, and subsist
on insects, worms, and different kinds of seeds. Their eggs are a very
delicate food.
Guinea fowls were originally introduced into England somewhat earlier than
the year 1260, and they are now common in our poultry yards, the females
always endeavour to lay their eggs in some concealed situation; and the
chicks, when hatched, require warmth and quiet, and should, for some time,
be fed on rice swelled with milk, or with bread soaked in milk.
These are restless and clamorous birds, and have a harsh and, to some
persons, an unpleasant cry, which consists of two notes, sounding like
"camac, camac, camac," frequently repeated.
163. _The RED GROUS, or RED GAME_ (Tetrao scoticus, Fig. 36), _is a
species of feathered game from fifteen to nineteen ounces in weight,
which has its plumage beautifully mottled with deep red and black, and
the six outer tail feathers blackish._
_Over each eye is an arched and naked scarlet spot, and the feet are
feathered to the claws._
_This bird inhabits the mountainous heaths of Derbyshire, Yorkshire,
Wales, and Scotland._
It is generally supposed that red grous are peculiar to the British
Islands. They are found in "packs," consisting sometimes of forty to fifty
birds; and are an object of eager pursuit by sportsmen. They principally
frequent high and heathy grounds, where they feed on mountain berries and
the tops of heath; and they seldom descend into the valleys. The birds are
eaten roasted, like most other game, but they are sometimes potted, and are
in general much admired for the table.
Red grous have been bred, and successfully reared, in confinement, by
supplying them almost every day with fresh pots of heath.
164. _BLACK GROUS, or BLACK GAME_ (Tetrao tetrix, Fig. 37), _is a species
of feathered game of violet black colour, with the tail forked, and the
secondary quill feathers white towards the base._
_Its weight is from two to four pounds. These birds are found in
mountainous and woody parts of the north of England, and in the New
Forest, Hampshire; in Scotland, and several countries of the Continent._
The pursuit of this and other species of grous is a much more important
occupation in the northern parts of the Continent than it is in this
country. In some parts of Russia they are caught in traps of wickerwork
baited with corn. Huts full of loop-holes are sometimes formed in woods
that are frequented by them, and upon the adjacent trees artificial
decoy-birds are placed. The persons in the huts fire upon the grous as they
alight, being careful to kill those first which are upon the lower
branches; and, in this case, so long as the men are concealed, the report
of the guns does not alarm the birds.
These birds feed on mountain fruits, and in winter on the tops of heath;
and, although they always roost on trees, they form their nests on the
ground. Each female lays six or eight eggs, of dull yellowish white colour,
marked with numerous small rust-coloured specks, and towards the smaller
end with some blotches of the same colour. The young male birds quit their
parents in the beginning of winter, and usually associate in small packs
until the spring. Black grous will live and thrive, but they have not been
known to breed, in aviaries.
165. _The PTARMIGAN, or WHITE GAME_ (Tetrao lagopus, Fig. 38), _is a
species of grous which, in summer, is of pale brown colour, elegantly
mottled with small bars and dusky spots; and has the bill and the tail
feathers black. In winter it is almost wholly while._
_These birds, which, are somewhat larger than a pigeon, are inhabitants
of the extreme northern countries of the continents both of Europe and
America. They are also found among the mountains of Scotland, and are
sometimes seen in the alpine parts of Westmoreland and Cumberland._
By the inhabitants of Greenland not only the _flesh_ but even the
intestines of these birds are much esteemed as food. The _skins_, with the
feathers on, are made into clothing; and the black _tail feathers_ were
formerly much in request among this people for female headdresses.
So numerous are these birds in the northern parts of America, as, at the
commencement of winter, to assemble in flocks of 150 or 200 in number; and
more than 10,000 have, in some years, been caught near Hudson's Bay,
betwixt the months of November and May. They are killed in various ways; by
snares, with nets, and with guns; and indeed so fearless are they of the
approach of mankind that they may be knocked down with sticks or clubs,
instances have occurred of their having been driven, almost like poultry,
into nets or snares that have been laid for them.
In our own country these birds associate in small packs, and live among
rocks, perching on the stones, and, when alarmed, taking shelter beneath
them. They feed on mountain berries, the buds of trees, and the young
shoots of the heath. The females form their nests on the ground, and lay in
them from six to ten eggs, which are of a dusky colour with reddish brown
spots.
It is a very extraordinary ordination of Providence, that these birds at
the commencement of winter should assume a white plumage, by which, being
incapable of defence, they are able, amidst the winter's snows, to elude
the pursuit of their enemies. And not only this, but, as an additional
protection against the cold, all the feathers except those of the wings and
tail are now doubled.
As food, these birds are said very much to resemble the red grous in
flavour.
166. _The WOOD GROUS, or CAPERCAILE_ (Tetrao urogallus), _is a bird
nearly as large as a turkey, its plumage varied, but bay above, marked
with blackish lines; the tail rounded, and the under parts at the base of
the wings white._
_This bird is found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia; and (though
very rarely) in the Highlands of Scotland north of Inverness._
There can be no doubt but, in ancient times, these birds were common in the
mountainous parts of South Britain. In countries where pine forests are
numerous, they feed on the buds of fir-trees, and on the young cones, so as
sometimes to render the taste of their flesh extremely unpalatable. They
are also partial to the berries of the juniper.
The females form their nests on the ground, and lay from eight to sixteen
eggs, which are of a white colour spotted with yellow.
167. _PARTRIDGES_ (Tetrao perdix) _are particularly distinguished, by
having, under the eyes, a naked scarlet spot; the tail rust-coloured, the
breast brown, and the legs of light colour._
_These birds are found in nearly all the countries of Europe, and in many
of the temperate parts of Asia._
In the autumn and winter, partridges are generally found in coveys, as they
are called, of ten or fifteen birds, consisting of the parents and their
brood. They are killed, by sportsmen, in immense numbers, for the table;
and in all the ways in which they are cooked they are an highly esteemed
food.
Partridges are remarkable for never perching nor alighting on trees. They
live in cultivated lands, constructing their nests upon the ground, and
having usually from fifteen to eighteen eggs. These are hatched towards the
beginning of June, and the young ones are able to run as soon as they come
into the world. If the eggs happen to be destroyed, the female will, in
many cases, form another nest, and produce a second offspring. The birds of
this brood are not perfectly fledged till the beginning of October; and are
always a puny race. If the eggs of partridges be placed under a common hen,
she will hatch them, and rear the young ones without difficulty. But these,
after they are grown, almost always escape into the fields and become wild.
It is said that the inhabitants of Scio, one of the islands of the Grecian
Archipelago, rear large flocks of partridges, which, during the day, are
permitted to visit the fields, and in the evening always return home to
roost. At the commencement of the breeding season they abscond for some
time; but, after having hatched their coveys, they return with their
families to the farm-yard.
The attachment of partridges to their offspring, and the stratagems which
they adopt to draw off the attention of their enemies whilst these seek
their safety by flight or concealment, are well known to almost all persons
who are resident in the country.
It is usually considered that the dark-coloured feathers on the breast of
the partridge are peculiar to the male; but it has been ascertained beyond
a doubt that these are also common to the female. The males can be
distinguished from the females only by a superior brightness of the plumage
about the head.
168. _The QUAIL_ (Tetrao corturnix) _is a bird considerably smaller than,
but much resembling, the partridge: its form, however, is more slender,
the body is spotted with grey, the eyebrows are white; and the
tail-feathers have a rust-coloured edge and crescent._
_These birds are found in some parts of England; but in other countries
of Europe, as well as in several districts of Asia and Africa, they are
extremely numerous._
Quails are migratory birds, generally arriving in this country betwixt the
middle of August and the middle of September, and departing in April. They
are greatly esteemed for the table; and are usually eaten roasted (without
being drawn), and served on toast, in the same manner as woodcocks. So
numerous are they, in many countries of the Continent, that they may be
purchased, even by dozens, at a very low price. In some parts of Italy
thousands of quails are caught in a day, at the periods of their migration.
The Russians also take them in immense numbers, and, packing them in casks,
send them for sale to Petersburgh and Moscow. We formerly imported great
numbers of these birds alive from France. They were conveyed, by the stage
coaches, in large square boxes, divided into five or six compartments one
above another, and just high enough for the birds to stand upright, each
box containing about a hundred quails. These boxes had wire in front, and
each partition was furnished with a small trough for food. The object of
this importation was solely for the table.
So irritable is the disposition of the quail, that, whenever the males are
kept together, they always fight. This propensity rendered them esteemed by
the ancient Greeks and Romans, for the same purposes as game cocks are by
many of the moderns. The fighting of quails is, at this day, a fashionable
diversion with the Chinese, and in some parts of Italy. The ancients did
not eat these birds, under a supposition that they were an unwholesome
food.
Quails are not so prolific as partridges. They seldom have more than six or
seven eggs, which are of whitish colour marked with ragged rust-coloured
spots.
169. _The BUSTARD_ (Otis tarda, Fig. 39), _the largest land bird which is
produced in England, is distinguished by its plumage being waved and
spotted, with black and dusky, and whitish beneath; and the bill being
convex and strong, with a tuft of feathers on each side of the lower
mandible._
_These birds are about four feet in length, and are found in small flocks
on open plains of different countries of Europe, Asia, or Africa. They
were formerly seen on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, and other parts of
England; but, in consequence of the enclosures which have of late years
been made, the breed is supposed to be nearly extinct in this country._
When these birds were more numerous than they now are, they were hunted by
grey-hounds for amusement, and, as they run with great rapidity (seldom
being known to rise on wing), the chase was sometimes very long.
Their flesh has been compared to that of the turkey, and epicures on the
Continent are stated to prefer the thigh of the bustard to most other kinds
of game.
Such is the timidity of these birds that they seldom allow any person to
approach within gun-shot of them. They fly slowly, and have some difficulty
to rise from the ground, but, when in flight, they are able to continue
their course for many miles without resting. Bustards feed on green corn
and vegetables; and on worms, frogs, mice, and other animals. They form no
nest, but the female lays her eggs, two in number, on the ground. The eggs
are as large as those of a goose, and of pale olive-brown colour, marked
with brown spots.
170. _The OSTRICH_ (Struthio camelus, Fig. 40) _is a bird of immense
height, measuring from seven to nine feet from its head to the ground;
and is distinguished by its extremely long neck, somewhat, conical bill,
the wings not being formed for flight, and the feet having each only two
toes._
_It inhabits extensive plains and deserts in the torrid regions of Asia
and Africa._
Ostriches are pursued by the Arabs principally on account of their
_feathers_, which are a considerable article of traffic. This people use
the _fat_ of these birds in cookery; and they occasionally subsist upon the
_flesh_.
The _eggs_ of the ostrich are of large size, and, in the South of Africa,
are considered a great delicacy. They are prepared for eating in various
ways; but the best way is simply to bury them in hot ashes, and, through a
hole made in the larger end, to stir the contents till they acquire the
consistence of an omelet. Ostriches' eggs are capable of being preserved
for a great length of time even at sea; and without any trouble of
constantly turning them, as is requisite with hen's eggs. This is owing to
the great thickness of the shells. At the Cape of Good Hope they are
usually sold at the rate of about sixpence sterling each. The Egyptians
suspend the shells of these eggs as ornaments, under the vaulted roofs of
their houses; and they are frequently hung between lamps in the mosques of
the Mahometans, and also in the Greek and Coptic churches. The _shells_ are
cut by the Hottentots into necklaces, bracelets, and ornaments for the
waist. In the eggs of the ostrich are frequently found a kind of small
oval-shaped stones about the size of a marrowfat pea, which are sometimes
set and used for buttons. The _skins_ of ostriches are employed by the
Arabians as a substitute for leather.
But no parts of the ostrich are so valuable as the _feathers_ of the wings
and tail. These are divided into loose and silky filaments, and are most
admired when plucked from the birds whilst alive. They are packed in
bundles by the Arabs, who put them, large and small, good and bad, together
for sale. In Europe they are used for female head-dresses; and for this
purpose the shortest and lightest are most esteemed. The ostrich feathers
that are imported into this country from the Cape of Good Hope are not
considered so good as those which we receive from Barbary; they are of
better colour, but not so perfect in the flue or feather, and are thin and
irregular. There is a permanent tax of 1l. 15s. and a war tax of 11s. 8d.
per pound on all ostrich feathers which are imported into England.
Two, three, or sometimes four ostriches deposit their eggs, thirty or forty
in number, in the same hollow place in the sand; and they do not, as is
generally supposed, leave them entirely to the heat of the sun to be
hatched. These birds are sometimes reared in a domestic state.