New Jcrfey, Raccoon* 79 



ble. But after thefe enemies and deftroyers 

 of the worms (the maize-thieves) were ex- 

 tirpated, the worms were more at liberty 

 to multiply -, and therefore they grew fo 

 numerous, that they did more mifchief now 

 than the birds did before. In the fummer 

 1749, the worms left fo little hay in New 

 England, that the inhabitants were forced to 

 get hay from Penfylvania, and even from 

 Old England. The maize -thieves have ene- 

 mies befides the human fpecies. A fpecies 

 of little hawks live upon them, and upon 

 other little birds. I faw fome of thefe hawks 

 driving up the maize-thieves, which were 

 in the greater!: fecurity, and catching them 

 in the air. Nobody eats the fleih of the pur- 

 ple maize-thieves or daws (Gr acuta quifculaj-, 

 but that of the red-winged maize-thieves, 

 or flares (Oriolus Phceniceus) is fometimes 

 eaten. Some old people have told me, that 

 this part of America, formerly called New 

 Swede?!, ftill contained as many maize- 

 thieves as it did formerly. The caufe of 

 this they derive from the maize, which is 

 now fown in much greater quantity than 

 formerly ; and they think that the birds can 

 get their food with more eafe at prefent. 



The American whortleberry, or the Vac- 

 cinium hifpidulum, is extremely abundant 



over 



