Penfyhania, Germantown. 97 



the memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sci- 

 ences, has defcribed by the name of Urfus 

 cauda elongata, and which he calls Urfus 

 Lotor, in his Syftema Naturae, is here call- 

 ed Raccoon. It is found very frequently, 

 and deftroys many chickens. It is hunted 

 by dogs, and when it runs upon a tree to 

 fave itfelf, a man climbs upon the tree af- 

 ter it, and makes it down to the ground, 

 where the dogs kill it. The flefh is eaten, 

 and is reputed to tafte well. The bone of 

 its male parts is made ufe of for a tobacco- 

 ftopper. The hatters purchafe their fkins, 

 and make hats out of the hair, which are 

 next in goodnefs to beavers. The tail is 

 worn round the neck in winter, and there- 

 fore is likewife valuable. The Raccoon is 

 frequently the food of fnakes. 



Some Englijkmen aflerted that near the 

 river Potomack in Virginia, a great quantity 

 of oyfter (hells were to be met with, and 

 that tbey themfelves had feen whole moun- 

 tains of them. The place where they are 

 found is faid to be about two Englifi miles 

 diftant from the fea-fhore. The proprietor 

 of that ground burns lime out of them. 

 This ftratum of oyfter-fhells is two fathom 

 and more deep. Such quantities of fhells 

 have likewife been found in other places* 

 efpecially in New Tork> on digging in the 



G ground j 



