NATURAL HI STORY. 



54-7 



length, with a groove on the up- 

 per side : on either side of this 

 groove, and a little below its edge, 

 the leaflets are inserted : these 

 are shortly petiolate for about 

 two thirds the length of the mid- 

 dle rib, commencing from the 

 bottom, and from thence to the 

 extremity sessile : the rib is ter- 

 minated by a single undivided 

 liineeoLite leaflet : these are from 

 two to fovu" inches in length, and 

 have a small acute angular pro- 

 jection, and obliquely cut at the 

 baae : the upper surface is smooth 

 ami of a deep gi eea : the under 

 surface of a pale green, and co- 

 vered with a brown protuberance 

 ef a woolly appearance, particu- 

 larly near tlie central fibre: the 

 leaflets are alternately pinnate, 

 and in numljer, from one hundred 

 aiul ten to one hundi'ed and forty: 

 they are shortest at the two ex- 

 tremities of the common foot- 

 stalk, largest in the centre, gra- 

 dually lengthening, and diminish- 

 ing as they succeed each other. 

 Tlie smidl fern rises likewise with 

 a common footstalk from the ra- 

 dix, from four to eight in number: 

 from four to eight inches long : 

 tiie central rib is marked with 

 a slight longitiuliiial groove 

 throughout its whole length : the 

 leaflets are oi)positL>ly pinnate, 

 about one- third of the length of 

 the common footstalk, from the 

 bottom, and' tliencc alternately 

 pinnate : the footstalk terminates 

 in a- simple undivided lanceolate 

 leaflet : these arc oljlong, obtuse, 

 convex, absolutely entire, and tlie 

 ujiper disk is marked with a slight 

 longitudinal groove : neiu-the up- 

 per extremity these leaflets are de- 

 cursively pinnate, as are all those 

 of the large fern. Both of theie 



species remain green uuriag the 

 winter. 



aUADRUPEDS. 



The quadrupeds of this country 

 from the Rocky mountains to the' 

 Pacific ocean, may beconveniently^ 

 divided into the domestic and the 

 wild animals. The first embraces 

 the hoi'se and dog only. 



The horse is confined principal- 

 ly to the nations inhabiting the' 

 great plains of tlie Columbia, ex- 

 tending from latitude forty to fifty 

 north, and occupying the tract of 

 territ/iry lying between the Rocky 

 mountains, and a range of moun- 

 tains which pass the Columbia 

 river about the Oieat Falls from 

 longitude sixteen to one hundred 

 and tweiity-oii« west. 'J'lie vShos- 

 honees, the C'ho}umuish, Sokulks, 

 Eschcloots, Eneshurcs, and Chil- 

 luckittequaws, all enjoy the bene- 

 fit of that docile, noble, and ge- 

 nerous animal ; and all of them, 

 except the last three, possess im- 

 mense numbers. 



The horse appears to be of an 

 excellent race, lofty,' elegantly 

 formed, active and durable : many 

 of them appear like fine English 

 coursers ; some of them are pied, 

 with large spots of white irregu- 

 larly scattered, and intefmixed 

 with a dark brown bay : the 

 greater part, however, are of an 

 unift>rm colour, marked with 

 stars and white feet, and resemble 

 in flcetness and bottom, as well as 

 in form and colour, the best 

 blooded horses of Virginia. The 

 natives suffer them to run at large 

 in the plains, the grass- of which 

 affords them their only winter 

 subsistence ; their masters taking- 

 no trouble to lay in a winter's 

 store for them : nevertheless they 



3 N 2 Mill, 



