New Jerfey, Raccoon. 73 



went down to Penris Neck, and returned 

 jn the evening. 



Snow lay yet in feveral parts of the 

 woods, efpecially where the trees Hood very 

 thick, and the fun could not make its 

 way : however it was not above four inches 

 deep. All along the roads was ice, efpe- 

 cially in the woods, and therefore it was 

 very difficult to ride horfes, which were 

 not fharp-fhoed. The people who are fet- 

 tled here know little of fledges, but ride 

 on horfeback to church in winter, though 

 the fnow is fometimes near a foot deep. It 

 lays feldom above a week before it melts, 

 and then fome frefh fnow falls. 



A fpecies of birds, called by the Swedes, 

 maize-thieves, do the greater!: mifchiefin 

 this country. They have given them that 

 name, becaufe they eat maize, both pub- 

 licly and fecretly, juft after it is fown and 

 coveredr with the ground, and when it is 

 ripe. The Englifo call them blackbirds. 

 There are two fpecies of them, both de- 

 fcribed and drawn by Catejby *. Though 

 they are very different in fpecies, yet there 



is 



* See Cateftyh nat. hift. of Carolina, vol. i. tab. iz. 

 7 be purple daw, and tab. 13. the rcd-nuinged Jlarling : but as 

 both thefe drawings are in a very expenfive work, we have, 

 from fpecimens lately brought over from Atnenca, made 

 a new drawing, which reprefents them both, and it is 

 engraved here, t^b. I. F. 



