New Jerfey, Raccoon. 47 



book, the Britifh Empire in America, vol. L 

 p. 444> writes, that North America had 

 neither rats nor mice before 'European fhips 

 brought them over. How far this is true 

 I know not. It is undoubted, that in fe- 

 veral defart places, where no man ever 

 lived, I have feen and killed the common 

 mice, in crevices of ftones or mountains ; 

 and is it probable that all fuch mice as 

 are fpread in this manner, throughout the 

 inland parts of the country, derive their 

 origin from thofe which were brought 

 over from Europe ? 



RATS like wife may be ranked among 

 thofe animals which do great damage in this 

 country. They live both in the cities and 

 in the country, and deftroy the provifions. 

 Their fize is the fame with that of our rats, 

 but their colour differs ; for they are grey, 

 or blue-grey. I enquired of the Swedes, 

 Whether thefe rats had been here prior to the 

 arrival of the Europeans, or whether they 

 came over in the fhips ? But I could not 

 get an anfwer which I might depend upon. 

 All agreed, that a number of thefe dangerous 

 and mifchievous animals were every year 

 brought to America, by (hips from Europe 

 and other countries. But Mr. Bartram main- 

 tained, that before the Europeans fettled here, 

 rats had been in the country ; for he faw a 

 great number <f them qn the high moun- 

 tains, 



