112 MEMOlRSofebe 
perfeflly of the colour of our Englip hares 3 they fit as our hares 
do, and make neither holes nor burrows in the earth , it is true 
they are about as large as an Englifi rabbet, and they run no 
fafter^ they generally betake themfelves into foiiie hollow tree, 
and they are taken by gathering the withered leaves, and fetting 
them on fire within the hollow of the tree3 fomctimcs they take 
Jong briars, and twift them in the down and ikm, and 16 pull 
them out : They have three forts of fquirrels , the firlt is the 
oreat fox-lquirrel, much larger than the Englifiji and almoft as 
grey as a common rabbet j thefe are very numerous, and they eat 
as well as a rabbet 3 the fecond is the fiying-fquirrel, of a lighter 
dun colour, and much lels than the Englip fquirrel^ the Ikin, 
on either fide the belly, is very large between the fore and hinder 
legs, which aflifts them very much in their fkipping from one 
bough to anoiher, that they will leap farther than the fox-lquir- 
rel, tho' fmaller j the third is the ground- fquirrel, they arc laid 
to be a littte larger than a moufe, and finely Ipotted like a young 
fawn, they are a fort of dormoule, only different in colour: 
Mu(k-rats are cxa£lly fliaped like our water-rats, only Ibmething 
larger 5 they build houfes, as beavers do, in marfhes by the wa- 
ter-fide, with two or three ways to them, and they are finely 
plaifler'd wifhin 5 they confift of three ftories, and they retire 
from one into the other, as the water rifes : There are two forts 
of bats 3 one of which is large with long ears and particularly long 
ftraggling hairs, the other is much like the Englijh^ but Ibme- 
thing larger: JBcavers build their houfes in like manner as the 
muik-rats do, only they are larger 5 with pieces of timber they 
make dams over rivers 3 either to preferve their furs dry m their 
paffage over them, or to catch fiih 3 they are very fubtle crea- 
tures: They have leveral forts of frogS3 one of a prodigious 
largenels, eight or ten times as big as any in England^ and it 
makes a noile like the lowing of a bull, or the hollowing lounding 
noileof a bittc-rn^ there is another fmall lort of frog, which makes 
a noife like pack-liorle bells during all the Ipringj a third iort, 
which is alfo green, will leap prodigioully, and on that account 
is called the flying-hog: I'here are in Virginia about 7 Ibrts of 
fnakes3 as the rattle-lnake, which is fb called from certain rattles 
at the end of the tail 3 thele rattles appear like {o many withered 
joints with a dry hulk over them 3 and the common opinion is, 
that there arc as many rattles or joints as the Inake is years old 3 
the young ones of a year or two have no rattles, yet they are 
eafily known, being checquered with black and grey on the 
back 3 the old fnakes fliake and quiver thicle rattles with furj^ri- 
fing 
