New Jerfey, Raccoon. g i 



$nd when I fmelled a little too long at it, 

 my head ached. The Swedes call it Byorn^ 

 blad (bear's-leaf ) or Byorn-retter (bear's- 

 root.) The Englifo call it Polecat-root, be- 

 caufe its effluvia are as naufeous and foetid, 

 as thofe of the polecat, which I have men- 

 tioned before. The flowers are purple-co- 

 loured; when they are in full flower, the 

 leaves begin to come out of the ground ; in 

 fummer the cattle do not touch it. Dr. 

 Golden told me, that he had employed the 

 root in all cafes where the root of the arum 

 is made ufe of, efpecially againft the fcurvy, 

 &c. The Swedifh name it got, becaufe the 

 bears, when they leave their winter habita- 

 tions, are fond of it in fpring : It is a com- 

 mon plant in all North America. 



THE Draba <uerna was abundant here, 

 and now appeared in flower. 



THE Veratrum album was very common 

 in the marflies, and in low places pver all 

 North America. The Swedes here call it 

 Dack, Dackor or Dackretter, that is pup- 

 pet-root, becaufe the children make puppets 

 of its ftalks and leaves. The Engli/h call 

 it Itch-reed or Ellebore. It is a pqifonous 

 plant, and therefore the cattle never touch 

 it ; however it fometimes happens that the 

 cattle are deceived in the beginning of 

 fpring, when the paftures are bare, and eat 

 of the fine broad green leaves of this plant, 



which 



