1 1 Natural History Tour 



Sound, a part of the State of Connecticut, and the Atlantic, 

 terminated my prospect on the south and east. On my right 

 and left stretched the lofty highlands ; and behind me, hazy 

 in aerial height, rose the proud summits of the Catskill 

 Mountains. The Hackensack river, with its tributary streams, 

 variegated the plains and salt marshes of New Jersey. The 

 elevation of the opposite side of the Hudson was mountain- 

 ous ; " rough with wood, and frowning with rocks ; " sloping 

 gradually towards the south, until its deserts lost their wild- 

 ness and character in cultivated districts. 



As I shall most probably have ample opportunity before 

 long of noticing more at length the animals usually met with 

 in the Northern States, I intend, for the present, to advert 

 to such of them only as may seem more particularly to belong 

 to the description of the country passed through. 



Deer in the forests bordering upon the Hudson have be- 

 come extremely rare : they are by nature shy and indomit- 

 able, and will immediately forsake their former dominions 

 whenever they detect the slightest trace of human resort* 

 The wolf is seldom seen, yet marks of his rapacity but too 

 often occur ; and, as if impelled by revenge, he wanders from 

 the distant mountains in quest of the spoils of his greatest 

 enemy, man. The black bear a few years ago enjoyed a 

 secure retreat on this ridge ; but of late, however, it would 

 appear, he has thought otherwise : he is now a great stranger 

 in this vicinity. These animals, in common with the unfor- 

 tunate aborigines of this country, from necessity, fly farther 

 into the wilderness as their limits are encroached upon : the 

 only quarters inferior beings are wont to be treated with by 

 Christians in these parts, and it is to be feared in many others 

 also, may be truly characterised in the very emphatic, express- 

 ive, and humane denunciation, " Quit or die ! " 



Here the oak (Quercus) grows abundantly, and thrives 

 well ; some of them are very large and straight. I observed 

 three species, viz. Q. iJobur, nigra, and falcata. I also no- 

 ticed the maple (^^cer) of two species, saccharinum and 

 rubrum; the American chestnut (Castanea americana) ; the 

 hickory (Jiuglans), sp. cinerea or American butternut, and 

 tomentosa or white-heart hickory, which is much used in this 

 country for fuel, and is in England a valuable wood for many 

 purposes. 



The pink root (Spigeliflf marilandica) was common and in 

 full bloom. This plant has long been known in medicine as 

 a vermifuge, and at one time acquired great celebrity ; but, 

 like every thing else overrated, it has lately fallen into dis- 

 repute, and is now very seldom used. It is, however, an 

 elegant plant ; grows most luxuriantly in the shade from the 



