New Jerfey, Raccoon. 371 



in the fequel) and plant them afterwards. When 

 the maize-thief eats a grain or two, which are 

 fo prepared, his head is difordered, and he 

 falls down : this frightens his companions, and 

 they dare not venture to the place again. But 

 they repay themfelvs amply towards autumn, 

 when the maize grows ripe j for at that time, 

 they are continually feafting. They afTemble by 

 thoufands in the maize-fields, and live at difcre- 

 tion. They are very bold ; for when they are 

 difturbed, they only go and fettle in another part 

 of the field. In that manner, they always go 

 from one end of the field to the other, and do 

 not leave it till they are quite fatisfied. They 

 fly in incredible fwarms in autnmn ; and it can 

 hardly be conceived whence fuch immenfe num- 

 bers of them fhould come. When they rife in 

 the air they darken the fky, and make it look 

 quite black. They are then in fuch great num- 

 bers, and fo clofe together, that it is furprifing 

 how they find room to move their wings. I 

 have known a perfon fhoot a great number of them 

 on one fide of a maize-field, which was far from 

 frightening the reft; for they only juft took flight, 

 and dropped at about the diftance of a mufket- 

 fhot inanotherpart of the field, andal ways changed 

 their place when their enemy approached. They 

 tired the fportfman, before he could drive them 

 trom off the maize, though he killed a great 

 many of them at every (hot. They likewife eat 

 the feeds of the aquatic tare-grafs (Zizania aqua- 

 ticaj commonly late in autumn, after the maize 

 is got in. I am told, they likewife eat buck- 

 wheat, and oats. Some people fay, that they 



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