THE AMERICAN BISONS. 77 



Professor Baird, however, refers to the occurrence of their bones "in the 

 alluvial deposits of rivers, bogs, and caves," near Carlisle, in Pennsylvania.* 

 Among the more important references to the supposed occurrence of the 



many of them smell exceeding strongly of Musk. Their Hares are no bigger than our Conies, and few of 

 them to be found. 



" Their Beares are very little in comparison of those of Muscovia and Tartaria. The Beaver is as bi<* as 

 an ordinarie great Dog, but his legs exceeding short. His fore feet like a Dogs, his hinder feet like a 

 Swans. His taile somewhat like the forme of a Racket bare without haire, which to eate the Savages es- 

 teeme a great delicate. They have many Otters, which as the Beavers they take with snares, and esteeme 

 the skins great ornaments, and of all those beasts they use to feede when they catch them. 



'• There is also a beast Vetchunqruoyes, in the forme of a wilde Cat, their Foxes are like our silver haired 

 Conies of a small proportion, and not smelling like those in England. Their Dogs of that Countrey are 

 like thier Wolves, and cannot barke but howle ; and their Wolves not much bigger than our English 

 Foxes. Martins, Powlecats, Wcessels and Minks we know they have, because we have seene many of 

 their skins, though very seldome any of them alive. But one thing is strange, that wee could never per- 

 ceive their vermine destroy our Hens, Egges, nor Chickens, nor doe any hurt, nor their Flyes nor Serpents 

 any way pernitious, where in the South parts of A merica they are alwaies dangerous and often deadly." — 

 Purchas, Vol. IV, pp. 1695, 1696. 



In Hakluyt's " Description of Florida," compiled from the French authors, he says, under the head of 

 '• The Beastes of Florida : " " The Beastes best known in this Countrey are Stagges, Hindes, Goates, 

 Deere, Leopards [Lynxes], Ounces, Lusernes, divers sorts of Wolves, wilde Dogs, Hares, Cunnies, and a 

 certaine kinde of Beast that differeth little from the Lyon of Africa." — Hakluyt, Vol. Ill, p. 369. 



In a " True Declaration of the estate of the Colonic in Virginia," printed in 1610, we read: "The 

 Beasts of the Countrie, as Deere, red, and fallow, do answere in multitude (people for people considered) 

 to our proportion of Oxen, which appeareth by these experiences. First the people of the Countrie are 

 apparelled in the skinnes of these beasts ; Next, hard by the fort, two hundred in one heard have been 

 usually observed. Further, our mcr have seen 4000. of these skins pyled up in one wardroabe of Poic- 

 halon ; Lastly, infinite store have been presented to Captaine Newport upon sundry occurrents : such a 

 plentie of Cattell, as all the Spaniards found not in the whole kingdome of Mexico, when all thier pres- 

 ents were but hennes, and ginycocks, and the bread of Maize, and Cently. There are Arocmms, and 

 Apossouns, in shape like to pigges, shrouded in hollow roots of trees ; There are Hares and Conies, and 

 other beasts proper to the Countrie in plentifull manner." — Force's Coll. His!. Tracts, Vol. HI, No. 1, 

 p. 13. 



Captain John Smith, in his "Description of New England," printed in 1616, thus enumerates the 

 " beasts " : " Moos, a beast bigger than a Stagge ; Deere, red, and Fallow ; Bevers, Wolves, Foxes, both 

 blacke and other ; Aroughconds [raccoons], Wild-cats, Beares, Otters, Martins, Fitches, Musquassus, and 

 diverse sorts of vermine, whose names I know not." — Force's Coll. Hist. Tracts, Vol. II, No. 1, p. 17. 



William Strachey, in his " Historie of Travaile into Virginia Britannia," written before 1620, says: 

 " . . . . the people [about the Chesapeake Bay] breed up tame turkies about their howses, and take apes 

 in the mountaines," on the authority of an Indian named Machumps. Again he says : " Martins, pole- 

 cats, weesells, and monkeys we knowe they have, because we have seene many of then- skynus, though 

 very seldom any of them alive." — Hakhii/t Society's Publications, Vol. for 1849, pp. 26, 125. 



In "New England's Plantation" (London, 1630), it is said: "For Beasts there arc suine Beares, and 



* Patent-Office Report, Agricultural, 1851-52, p. 124: 



