Penfylvania, Philadelphia. 291 



them. One hundredth part of the fowl 

 which at that time were fo plentiful here, 

 would have fufficed to feed the few inhabi- 

 tants -, and confidering that they cultivated 

 their fmall maize fields, caught fifh, hunt- 

 ed flags, beavers, bears, wild cattle, and 

 other animals whofe flefli was delicious to 

 them, it will foon appear how little they 

 diflurbed the birds. But iince the arrival 

 of great crouds of Europeans, things are 

 greatly changed : the country is well peo- 

 pled, and the woods are cut down : the 

 people increafing in this country, they have 

 by hunting and mooting in part extirpated 

 the birds, in part feared them away : in' 

 fpring the people ftill take both eggs, mo- 

 thers and young indifferently, becaufe no 

 regulations are made to the contrary. And 

 if any had been made, the fpirit of freedom 

 which prevails in the country would not 

 fuffer them to be obeyed. But though the 

 eatable birds have been diminished greatly, 

 yet there are others, which have rather in- 

 creafed than decreafed in number, fince the 

 arrival of the Europeans : this can mofr. 

 properly be faid of a fpecies of daws which 

 the Englijh call Blackbirds * and the Swedes 

 Maize thieves, Dr. Linnceus calls them Gra- 



T 2 cala 



V kot ekly Jbimng blackbirds 



*■ 



