New Jerfey, Raccoon. 157 



The Oaks here have fimilar qualities 

 with the European ones. They keep their 

 dead leaves almoft during the whole win- 

 ter, and are very backward in getting 

 frefh ones ; they had no leaves as yet, and 

 were but juft beginning to fhew a few. 



The Humming- bird, which the Swedes 

 call Kings-bird*, and which I have men- 

 tioned in a former volume, appeared here- 

 abouts to-day, for the nrft. time this fpring. 



Numbers of Oil beetles, (Meloe Profca- 

 rabceus) fat on the leaves of white Helle- 

 bore, (Veratrum album) and feafted on them. 

 I confidered them a great while, and they 

 devoured a leaf in a few minutes. Some 

 of them had already eaten fo much that 

 they could hardly creep. Thus this plant, 

 which is almoft. certain death to other ani- 

 mals, is their dainty food. 



The Fire-flies appeared at night, for the 

 nrft time this year, and flew about between 

 the trees, in the woods. It feemed, in the 

 dark, as iffparks of fire flew up and down. 

 I will give a more particular account of 

 them in another place. 



Towards night I went to Raccoon. 



May the ift. The laft night was lb 

 cold that the ground at fun-riling was as 



white 



# KungsfogeL 



