326 Notes on certain parts of the State of Ohio. 
to the state of Ohio. Amongst the carniverous animals, we 
have the bear, wolf, panther, wild cat, and fox. Of the fox 
we have two varieties, the red and the gray: the gray is by 
far the most common. Of those which are partly carnive- 
rous and partly graniverous, we enumerate the opossum, rac- 
coon, polecat, and mink. The ground hog, or woodchuck, 
and rabbit, are herbiverous. The gray squirrel, the black 
squirrel, and the chipping squirrel, are the only kinds I have 
seen. The red squirrel and flying squirrel are not common 
here, though I believe they are found on the waters of the 
Ohio, near the mountains, The native rats are black, and 
small, The wharf rat has found his way into the country 
within a few years, and is now common in the neighbourhood 
of the Ohioriver. Mice, of the same kind, common to the 
east side of the mountains, are found here. Beavers were 
once common here, but the hunters have destroyed them all 
long since. A few otters and mink yet remain, and the musk- 
ratis common. Our serpents are, two kinds of rattlesnakes, 
black and spotted; copperhead, water-snake, water-adder, 
garter-snake, and two kinds of black snakes, one very long 
and slim, the other with a white ring round the neck. These 
are all harmless, I believe, but the first two. 
Rattlesnakes and copperheads were very abundant in the 
woods at the first settlement of the country ; but since our 
hogs have been suffered to run in the woods, they have 
nearly destroyed the race of snakes. It is said, that the bite 
of a poisonous snake does no injury toa hog. If this is the 
fact, | know not how to account for it, unless it be that the 
great quantity of fat with which the cellular membrane is load- 
ed, prevents its absorption into the system, or acts as an anti- 
dote to the poison, inthe same manner that olive oil does. It 
is certain that hogs are fond of this kind of food, and eat it 
whenever they can catchit. Our tortoises are of three kinds 
—the large black tortoise, small brown tortoise with yellow 
spots, and the soft-shelled tortoise. The latter kind lives al- 
together in the water, will weigh from six to ten pounds, and 
is said to be nearly or quite equal to the sea-turtle, for the 
table. 
Lizards are very common in the woods, and in pleasant 
weather may be seen on old logs, lying basking in the san. 
Newts are found in our small streams; and in the Ohio an 
animal, between the newt and the aligator, is often taken on 
the hooks set for fish, in the spring of the year. Itis between 
