52 ^cto=(!HncjIantis Eartttrs. 



[17] The Raccoon} 



The Raccoon liveth in hollow trees, and is about the 

 fize of a Gib Cat; they feed upon Mafs, and do infeft 

 our Indian Corn very much; they ■will be exceeding fat 

 in Autumn; their flefh is fomewhat dark, but good food 

 roafted. 



For Bruifes and Aches. 



Their Fat is excellent for bruifes and Aches. Their 

 Skins are efteemed a good deep Fur; but yet as the 

 Wild Cats fomewhat coarfe. 



The Porcupine. 



The Porcupine, in fome parts of the Countrey Eaftward 

 towards the French, are as big as an ordinary Mungrel 

 Cur; a very angry Creature, and dangerous, mooting a 

 whole fhower of Quills with a rowfe at their enemies, 

 which are of that nature, that wherever they flick in the 

 flefh, they will work through in a fhort time, if not pre- 

 vented by pulling of them out. The Indians make ufe of 

 their Quills, which are hardly a handful long, to adorn 

 [18] the edges of their birchen difhes, and weave (dying 



1 The raccoon is, or has been, an inhabitant of all North America (Godman, 

 Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 117), and was one of the first of our animals with which Euro- 

 pean naturalists became acquainted. Linnaeus (Syst. Nat.) cites Conrad Gesner 

 among those who have illustrated or mentioned it. Wood says they are " as 

 good meat as a lamb; " and further, that, " in the moonshine night, they go to 

 feed on clams at a low tide, by the seaside, where the English hunt them with 

 their dogs." — Ne-w-Rng. Prosfietf, 1. c. 



