THE BIRD OF CHRISTMAS. ACCORDING to "ancient Tusser," the Turkey became the Bird of Christmas about the year 1585, at which period it began to form a favourite dish at the rural feasts of the season. It is generally believed to be a native of North America, from whence it was brought into England in the reign of Henry the Eighth. In the forests of Canada, which are covered with snow three fourths of the year, they are found in great numbers, and are regularly hunted by the natives with dogs. A gentleman of New York received from a distance a turkey-cock and hen, and a pair of bantams, which he put into his yard with other poultry. Some time after, as he L. 37. 1. B was feeding them from the barn-door, a large hawk suddenly turned the corner of the barn, and made a pitch at the bantam hen she immediately gave the alarm, by a noise which is natural to her on such occasions; when the turkey-cock, who was at the distance of about two yards, and, no doubt, understood the hawk's intentions, and the imminent danger of his old acquaintance, flew at the tyrant with such violence, and gave him so severe a stroke with his spurs, when about to seize his prey, as to knock him from the hen to a considerable distance; and the timely aid of this faithful auxiliary completely saved the bantam from being devoured. Another anecdote (though very different in its nature) is recorded of the gallantry of the turkey cock; which also affords a singular example of deviation from instinct. In May, 1798, a female turkey, belonging to a gentleman in Sweden, was sitting upon eggs; and as the cock, in her absence, began to appear uneasy and dejected, he was put into the place with her. He immediately sat down by her side; and it was soon found that he had taken some eggs from under her, which he covered very carefully. The eggs were put back, but he soon afterwards took them again. This induced the owner, by way of experiment, to have a nest made, and as many eggs put in as it was thought the cock could conveniently cover. The bird seemed highly pleased with this mark of confidence; he sat with great patience on the eggs, and was so attentive to the care of hatching them, as scarcely to afford himself time to take the food necessary for his support. At the usual period, twenty-eight young ones were produced; and the cock, who was, in some measure, the parent of this numerous offspring, appeared perplexed on seeing so many little creatures picking around him, and requiring his care. It was, however, thought proper not to entrust him with the rearing of the brood, lest he should neglect them; they were, therefore, taken away and reared by other means. The female is, in general, much more mild and gentle than the male. When leading out her young family to col lect their food, though so large, and apparently so powerful a bird, she gives them very little protection against the attacks of any rapacious animal that comes in her way. She rather warns them to shift for themselves, than prepares to defend them. "I have heard the turkey-hen, when at the head of her brood," says the Abbe de la Pluche, "send forth the most hideous scream, without my being able to perceive the cause her young, however, immediately when the warning was given, skulked under the bushes, the grass, or whatever else seemed to offer shelter or protection. They even stretched themselves at their full length on the ground, and continued lying motionless, as if dead. In the mean time the mother, with her eyes directed upwards, continued her cries and screaming, as before. On looking up, in the direction in which she seemed to gaze, I discovered a black spot just under the clouds, but was unable, at first, to determine what it was; however, it soon appeared to be a bird of prey, though at first at too great a distance to be distinguished. I have seen one of these animals continue in this agitated state, and her whole brood pinned down as it were to the ground, for four hours together; whilst their formidable foe has taken his circuits, has mounted, and hovered directly over their heads: at last, upon his disappearing, the parent changed her note, and sent forth another cry, which, in an instant, gave life to the whole trembling tribe, and they all flocked round her with expressions of pleasure, as if conscious of their escape from danger." As language can give but a faint description of this maternal agitation, our artist's pencil has been employed to express it more fully. LOVE AND INNOCENCE. FROM THE ITALIAN. LOVE, with Innocence, one day, ་་ Dearest, give that flower to me→→→ "False boy," cried Innocence, "begone! A. H. BEHRAM. AN EASTERN TALE.-BY MRS. HOFLAND. It is now some centuries since the Persian sceptre was swayed by the monarch Yezdejerd. Famed for his skill in war, Yezdejerd, in the beginning of his reign, raised the glory of Persia by his conquests, but his courage degenerated into cruelty he oppressed the provinces which his valour had subjugated, and he finally became the tyrant of his own people. But in the midst of his triumphs the divine vengeance reached the haughty monarch; his most passionate desire was to leave a successor worthy of him, and that hope had been already seven times frustrated by the death of as many sons, who had been cut off, at different ages, by the same disease. It was a malady which baffled the skill of the most celebrated physicians of the empire, and had till then been unknown there. The monarch had often outraged religion, and insulted its ministers; but now that he found himself pursued by the wrath of Heaven, he became humble, if not penitent. He summoned the chief priest to his presence, and consulted with him what step he could take to preserve the life of an eighth son, whom one of the sultanas had just borne him. Coran, the chief priest, demanded three days for conside ration. On the morning of the fourth he presented himself to Yezdejerd: "Oh, king!" cried he, "it is not given to thy servant to pronounce upon the destiny of the prince. One thing alone has been revealed to him: it is, that the royal infant's only chance of safety is his being placed in the kingdom of Mesopotamia." Nadir, the chief of one of the provinces of that country, was tributary to the Persian monaich. He was the only one of his numerous vassals who could inspire the tyrant with respect, and he confided to him without hesitation the care of that child, on whom the future destinies of Persia were to depend. This was what Coran had foreseen, and he rejoiced at it; for he well knew that the young prince could not have a more worthy instructor than the sage Nadir. The infancy of the prince glided happily away in the at. tainment of useful knowledge, and his frame, naturally deli cate, was rendered active and hardy by the athletic sports and exercises which he shared with Mondor, the son of Nadir, a youth little older than himself. Nadir, who had always before his eyes the importance of the charge which he had taken upon himself, neglected no opportunity of instructing Beliram in the duties of a sovereign. Naturally virtuous, Behram listened with reverence and attention to the counsel of his venerable monitor, and the first wish of his heart was that he might form the happiness of his people. Time passed on; the young prince pursued as usual his studies and his sports, but he began to find that they were not, as formerly, sufficient for his happiness. Nadir had a daughter, with whom, in infancy, he had been suffered to associate freely; but as she grew towards womanhood, the prudent Nadir restrained her intercourse with his royal pupil. It was then too late; love had seized the heart of Behram ; he vowed that no power should separate him from his Leila, whom he loved more than his life. The duteous maiden did not murmur, but Behram saw in her tears and her blushes that his passion was returned. The prince had just turned his twentieth year, when Nadir and the King of Persia died, nearly at the same time; and speedily afterwards the great dignitaries of the Persian em. pire came in all the pomp of Asiatic splendour, to present the diadem to their new master, Behram. Ah! how bitterly did he lament his separation from Leila, to whom he swore eternal love a thousand and a thousand times. With what transport did he receive from her lips a promise that she would partake of his throne as soon as the customary time of mourning for their fathers had elapsed! Her brother promised to be her conductor; and Behram at length tore himself from the arms of those true and tender friends of his infancy, and departed. Alone, and mounted on his swift Arabian courser, Beh ram would have traversed in ten days the space that separated him from his capital ; but his prime minister represented to him that it was the custom for the monarch to travel slowly, and to stop a certain time in each province, where the most splendid entertainments were every where prepared for him. All this delay, all these ceremonies, at first tired and disgusted Behram: he was shocked, too, at bearing the courtieis |