ABUNDANCE OF FISH ON NEW ENGLAND COAST. 155 



but whether they be pheysants or no, I will not take upon mee, to de- 

 termine. They are in form like our pheisant-henne of England. Both 

 the male & the female are alike; but they are rough footed: & have 

 'stareing fethers about the head & neck, the body is as bigg as the 

 pheysant-henne of England ; & are excellent white flesh, & delicate 

 white meate, yet we seldome bestowe a shoote at them." 



" Partridges, there are much, like our Partridges of England, they are 

 of the same plumes, but bigger in body. They have not the signe of the 

 horse shoe-shoe on the brest as the Partridges of England ; nor are they 

 coloured about the heads as those are ; they sit on the trees. For I have 

 seen 40. in one tree at a time; yet at night they fall on the ground, & 

 sit until morning so together; & are dainty flesh." 



"There quailes also, but bigger then the quailes in England. They 

 take trees also : for I have numbered 60. upon a tree at a time. The 

 cocks doe call at the time of the yeare, but with a different note from 

 the Cock quailes of England." (P. 48, Tract 5.) 



" There are Owles of divers kindes: but I did neve heare any of them 

 whop as ours doe." 



"There are Crowes, kights & rooks that doe differ in some respects 

 from those of England. The Crowes (which I have much admired, 

 what should be the cause) both smell & taste of Muske in Summer, but 

 not in Winter." (P. 49, Tract 5.) 



"There is a curious bird to see to, called a hunning bird, no bigger 

 than a great Beetle ; that out of question lives upon the Bee, which he 

 eateth & catcheth amongst Flowers : For it is his Custom e to frequent 

 those places, Flowers he cannot feed upon by reason of his sharp bill, 

 which is like the poynt of a Spanish needle, but Shorte. His fethers 

 have a glosse like silke, & as hee stirres, they show to be of a chaing- 

 able coloure; & has bin, & is admired for shape, coloure, & size." 

 (P. 50, Tract 5.) 



" There are in this Country, three kindes of Deares of which there 

 are greate plenty, & those are very usefull. First, therefore I will 

 speake of the Elke, which the Salvages call a Mose : it is a very large 

 Deare, with a very faire head, & a broade palme, like the palme of a 

 fallow Deares home, but much bigger, & is 6. footewide betweene the 

 tipps, which grow curbing downwards: Hee is of the bignesse of a 

 great horse. There is a second sort of Deare (lesse then the redd Deare 

 of England, but much bigger then the English fallow Deare) swift of 

 foote, but of a more darke coloure; with some griseld heares. When 

 his coate is full growne in the summer season, his homes grow curving, 

 with a croked beame, resembling our redd Deare, not with a palme like 

 the fallow Deare." (P. 51, Tract 5.) 



"There is likewise a third sorte of deare, lesse then the other, (which 

 are a kind of rayne deare,) to the southward of all the English planta- 

 tions, they are excellent good flesh. And these also bring three fownes 

 at a time, & in this particular the Deare of those parts, excell all the 

 knowne Deare of the whole world." 



"The next in mine opinion fit to be spoken of is the Beaver; wilich 

 is a Beast ordained, for land & water both, & hath fore feet like a canny, 

 her hinder feete like a goese, mouthed like a cunny, but short eared 

 like a Serat, fishe in summer, & wood in winter, which hee conveyes 

 to his howse built on the water, wherein hee sitts with his tayle hang- 

 ing in the water, which else would over heate & rot off." — (P. 52, Tract 5.) 



"The Otter of those parts, in Winter season, hath a furre as black so 

 jett, & is a furre of very highe price ; a good black skinne is worth 

 3. or 4. Angels of gold. "The Flesh is eaten by the Salvages: but how 



