CHAPTER FOUR 



OUR FIRST NATURAL HISTORY WRITERS 



The first to describe our fauna and write what may be 

 considered a natural history of Louisiana was M. Le 

 Page du Pratz, a Frenchman who came to this country 

 in 1718 and remained in Louisiana many years. His pub- 

 lished accounts of the country, the natives, and its fauna 

 and flora are not only interesting but amusing, especially 

 the crude engravings that embellish his works. He de- 

 scribed the bison or buffalo, which was designated by the 

 early French settlers as Le Boeuf sauvage; and lays great 

 stress on the very fine wool secured from the skins or robes. 

 "These skins are an object of no small consideration," 

 wrote du Pratz. "The natives dress them with the wool 

 on, to such great perfection as to render them more pliable 

 than our buff. They dye them with different colors and 

 clothe themselves therewith. To the French they supply 

 the place of the best blankets, being at the same time very 

 warm and very light." He said that the cougar, which he 

 called a Pichou, "is a kind of Chxttpitois (wild cat), as high 

 as the tiger but not so thick, and his skin is extremely 

 beautiful"; and "that the foxes were numerous" and, while 

 they were like the European species, "their skin is much 

 more beautiful." 



The raccoon, which was a new animal to the wondering 

 Frenchman so interested in nature, was named a Chat 

 sauvage (literally "wild cat,") but Du Pratz admitted it 

 had "been improperly called so by the first French settlers 

 in Louisiana, for it has nothing of the cat but its nimble 

 activity, and rather resembles a monkey. It is not above 

 eight or ten inches high, and about fifteen long. Its head 

 is that of a fox ; it has long toes, but very short claws, not 

 made for seizing game ; accordingly, it lives on fruit, bread, 

 and such things. This animal may be tamed, and then 

 becomes very frolicsome and full of tricks. The hair of 

 those that are tame is gray, but of the wild is reddish." 



The artist who engraved the Du Pratz illustrations was 

 evidently given a free hand, for the reproduction of the 



