HARDY — ON PROVINCIAL ACCLIMATIZATION. 20 



that this animal would thrive in the hard woods of Cumberland ; 

 and as it seems to live and thrive close to civilization, it would find 

 ample room and food in our suburban copses ajid uncleared barrens. 

 Descending in the scale of animal classification, the next selections 

 for consideration of a future Acclimatization Society in this country, 

 as adapted to live and multiply and become profitable in the wood- 

 lands, seem to be oSered in the prolific order Rodentia, of which 

 many families are already indigenous — the squirrel, beaver, porcu- 

 pine and American hare, commonly known as the rabbit. The 

 first of these might receive an interesting accession by the intro- 

 duction of the black and grey squirrels of Canada and the States ; 

 the beaver, porcupine and woodchuck, are all prized by the hunter 

 as food, lacking the supply of venison, and the latter, persecuted 

 though it be by human, furred, and feathered foes, is still so 

 prolific and common, as to form a great portion of the winter 

 subsistence of both settlers and the poor of this city. Indeed, 

 when we enumerate its enemies of the animal creation, which 

 almost altogether live upon it, the lynx and wild cat, the foxes, the 

 horned oavI, the marten and the weasel, and take into considera- 

 tion the numbers which are taken by man, by snaring them in 

 their easily discovered paths to and from their feeding grounds in 

 the swamps, it is wonderful that they still remain so plentiful. A 

 great objection to the flesh of the American hare, hoAvever, is its 

 insipidity and toughness, except when taken young. Far more 

 delicate and esteemed is that of the Spanish, or domestic, and 

 common wild English rabbit, (Lepus cmiiculus), whilst it would 

 seem that both are of a sufiiciently hardy constitution to stand the 

 rigours of our winter. The former is already an acclimatized inhab- 

 itant of the sand banks of Sable Island, according to Dr. Gilpin,. 

 having been introduced by the honble. Michael Wallace, and 

 increased amazingly, affording the Islanders many a fresh dinner 

 when salt junk is plenty and fresh beef scarce. No easier exper- 

 iment could be made in applied Natural History, than the extensive 

 breeding of the common grey rabbit by some resident near town, 

 whose premises bordered on uncleared bush or scrub. To com- 

 mence, a large bank of loosely piled earth and stone might be made, 

 here and there perforated by a length or so of suitable tubing, such 

 as used for drains, the bank enclosed by wire netting, and a few 

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