148 April 1749. 



have feen in feveral places little houfes made 

 of boards, and fixed on the outnde of the 

 walls, on purpofe that thefe Martins may 

 make their nefts in them -, for the people 

 are very defirous of having them near their 

 houfes, becaufe they both drive away hawks 

 and crows as foon as they fee them, and 

 alarm the poultry by their anxious note, of 

 the approach of their enemies. The 

 chickens are likewife ufed to run under 

 fheker, as foon as they are warned by the 

 Martins. 



April the 17th. The Dirca palujlris, 



or Moufe-wood, is a little fhrub which 



grows on hills, towards fwamps and mar- 



fhes, and was now in full blofTom. The 



Englifi in Albany call it Leather-wood, 



becaufe its bark is as tough as leather. 



The French in Canada call it Bois de 



Plomb, or Leaden-wood, becaufe the wood 



itfelf is as foft and as tough as lead. The 



bark of this fhrub was made ufe of for 



copes, bafkets, &c. by the Indians, whilft 



they lived among the Swedes. And it is 



really very fit for that purpofe, on account 



of its remarkable ftrength and toughnefs, 



which is equal to that of the Lime -tree 



bark. The Eng/i/h and the Dutch in many 



parts of North America, and the Trench 



in Canada, employ this bark in all cafes, 



where 



