i<)6 



May 1749- 



one or two Ikilful ceconomifts, but they 

 were very fcarce. 



Birds of prey which purfue the poultry 

 are found in abundance here, and if pof- 

 fible more plentiful than in Sweden. They 

 enjoy great liberty here, as there are ftill 

 great forefts in many places, from whence 

 they can come unawares upon chickens 

 and ducks. To the birds of prey it is 

 quite indifferent whether the woods confift 

 of good or bad trees, provided they are 

 in made. At night the owls, which are 

 very numerous, endanger the fafety of 

 the tame fowls. They live chiefly in 

 marfhes, give a difagreeable (hriek at night, 

 and attack the chickens, which commonly 

 rooft at night in the apple-trees, peach- 

 trees, and cherry-trees, in the garden. But 

 fince they are very bufy in clearing this 

 country of woods, as we are in Sweden and 

 Finland, it may be of ufe for expofing the 

 birds of prey, more than they are now, 

 and for depriving them of the opportunities 

 of doing mifchief with fo much eafe. 



The thick forefts of America contain 

 numbers of ftags ; they do not feem to be 

 a different fpecies from the European ftags. 

 An Englijhman was poffeffed of a tame 

 hind. It is obfervable that though thefe 

 creatures are very i"hy when wild in the 



woods 



