flin nigrefcere, leniores vero inter fufcum et atrum variare atque 

 magnitudine fecundum locum et alimenti abundantiam differre pro- 

 nunciat {Ejitwifrfeimger Thiere Illter Theil No. 35 - 44). 



///. BuFFONius primam praefertim Germanorum difl:in£lio- 

 nem quae et inter Helvetos obtinet, fecutus ert:; fed male cum va- 

 rietate europaea fubatra confundit Urjiim americamim^ quem fpecie 

 differre tamen ipfe lubDlfecit et quantum moribus a noftrate differat 

 e peregrinatorum recentiffimorum fide expofuic Q)). Vidi olim 



A 3 Urfos 



S) Plenifilme mores et naturam Urfi amevicanr defcripfTt J. BricKell natural hift. of 

 Noyth-Carolina p. iio. feqq. „The Bears are very common in this prnvincc, tho' noc 

 „qiiite fo large, as in mire northerly climates, fuch asG een'and and Rufna. Theii' 

 „flefh is good & nourifhing, not infeiior to the befl Pork in tafte & is betwixt Beef & 

 „Pork. The young Coubs are a moft delicious difh, as moll of the planters teftifie, 

 „who prefer their flefh befbre Beef, pork, veal or mutton; & ir looks as well as it eats, 

 „thcir fat being as white as Snow & thc fweeteft of any Creature in the world, for if any 

 „Perfon diinks a qiiart of it melted, it never rifcs in the ftomach, as other oils & fati^ 

 „are fubjefl to do, & is preferr'd above all things for fiyiDg Fifh. — The Bacon mnde 

 „thereof is exa-iordinary good — J have feen very good hams, made of thefe Bear's- 

 „flefh. Thefe bcafts feed upon all manner of wild fruits & are great devourers of every 

 „fort of fifh, efpeciiHy Herrings, which they catch at the brooksfide in the month of 

 „March and Apiil The flefh of thofe Bears, that feed upon tbem, is nor good that 

 „Seafon & cats Hlthily ; ntither are tliay good when they feed upon Gunberries. They 

 „are grcat devourers of Swine, that they take in the woods, efpecially when they are 

 „hungry & can get no otJier food, which is the only Fitfhmeat they are fondof. They 

 „fometimes get into the Indian Cornficlds or Maze, where they generaPy fpojl ten times 

 ,, more than thcy eat. They are fb tond of the Potatoes of this Country, that they Ccl- 

 „dom fail to deftroy & root out all clean, when^ver thcy chance to come wlicre thcy 

 „are. — And norwithftanding they feem to be fuch a clumfy creature, yet they will 

 .,nimbly climb trees (whcn purfued by Hunters & Dogs), where they generally remaint 

 „till fhot; & it is ftrange to fee with what agility they will go up H down the Trees, 

 „& in coming down they aiways run tail foremoft. They are likewife very dexterous 

 „& expert in tifhing, catching vift quantities of feveral forts of Fifh, as they run up the 

 „narrow creeks A: fhallow waters to fpawn. There you fhall fee thefe Beafts fit & take 

 „up fifh as faft as it is poflible for them to dip their paws into thc warer. There is one 

 jjthingvery ibange & remarkable of this creacure, which is that no mau, either Chri- 

 „ll;ian or Indian, ever killed a She-bear with young. — Ir is moft certain that they 

 „hide themfelves in the moft fecret places, othenvife the Indians, who conftantly hunt 

 „in the woods, & kiU thoufands ofHe-ones, would at fome timc or orher have found 

 „them. — Bearhunting is a very great diverfion amongfl Chriftians & (ndians; the 

 j,.&imer have a bteed of Dogs iit for that kind of fport, about the fize of farmers Currs; 



» thcfc 



