THE WESTERN COUNTRY 275 



hardly to be believed, the number of grey and black 

 squirrels we saw, at this time in movement, migrating 

 from the frontiers towards the coast.* Failure of the 

 nuts and acorns, it was said, was the reason for this 

 migration, which brought about the death of many 

 thousands of these animals ; for innumerable quantities 

 of them were shot. At Wheeling alone two lads within 

 three days brought down 219 of them. At our tavern 

 we had squirrels at every meal, baked, stewed, and in 

 pastries. From this migration it was prophesied at 

 the time that a hard winter would follow, and in reality 

 this was the case. Beavers were here and there found, 

 also otters, minks, and ground-hogs ; but I could not 

 be clear whether by ground-hog, here in the mount- 

 ains, is understood the same as what is elsewhere in 

 America called ground-hog (Arctomys Monax, Schre- 

 ber), or whether, as appears more likely, a sort of 

 badger is not meant. I make mention of this so that 

 others may be informed, on occasion, of the confusion 

 of names in America ; for the Arctomys Monax is at 

 one time called ground-hog and again wood-chuck, 

 and according to Kalm f the name ground-hog is given 

 by others to a badger-like animal. A smaller animal 

 of the mouse-species is said to keep in the woods, but 

 nobody has caught it or made it his business to settle 

 what it is. 



A few Indian families, of the Delaware tribe, were 

 living at this time close by the Fort. Accompanied by 

 an officer of the garrison I visited their chief, Colonel 



* Vid. Counsellor Schreber's Saiigthiere, Abth. IV, 770. Of 

 the rarer fox-squirrels (p. 774) none was observed in these 

 herds. 



t Kalm's Travels, II, 332. 



