^oO LOWER CANADA. 



ed by him annually. This animal is about the size of the domestic cat$ 

 and of the same family. His hah" is of a yellowish hue. 



The Ermine. This is a species of weazel, and indeed differs from 

 the common weazel, in nothing but colour. This is nearly the same 

 in summer, but in winter the ermine is perfectly white, excepting 

 the tip of his tail, which is black. The fur of this little animal is 

 highly valued. 



The Morse and Seal are found in great numbers on the coasts of 

 Greenland and Labrador. They also visit the shores of the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence, but are rarely seen now on those of Canada, though 

 formerly they not unfrequently visited New England. They are am- 

 phibious animals, and spend most of their time in the water. The 

 head of the morse bears a very strong resemblance to that of the ele- 

 phant, on which account it is frequently denominated the sea-ele- 

 phant. This animal is found from twelve to sixteen feet in length. Its 

 tusks are preferred to those of the elephant, being harder and whiter. 

 The seal is much hunted for its oil. It is inferior in size to the 

 morse, being from four to nine feet in length ; the skins make excel- 

 lent coverings for trunks, and though not so fine as morocco leather, 

 they preserve their freshness better, and are less liable to crack. 

 The shoes and boots made of these skins let in no water. When 

 properly tanned they also make excellent covering for seats. 



Of the feathered creation, they have eagles, falcons, goshawks, ter- 

 cols, and partridges. Woodcocks are scarce. in Canada, but snipes and 

 other water game, are plentiful. Here are black-birds, swallows, and 

 larks ; no less than twenty-two different species of ducks, and a 

 great number of swans, turkeys, geese, bustards, teal, water-hens, 

 cranes, and other large water-fowl ; but always at a distance from 

 houses. The Canadian wood-pecker is a beautiful bird. Thrushes 

 and goldfinches are found here ; but the chief Canadian bird of me- 

 lody is the white-bird, which is a kind of ortolan, very showy, and 

 remarkable for announcing the return of spring. 



Some writers are of opinion, that the fisheries in Canada, if pro- 

 perly improved, would be more likely to enrich that country than 

 even the fur trade. The river St. Lawrence contains, perhaps, the 

 greatest variety offish of any in the world, and these in the greatest 

 plenty, and of the best sorts. 



Besides a great variety of other fish in the rivers and lakes, are 

 porpoises, the lencornet, the goberque, the sea-plaise, salmon, trout, 

 turtle, lobsters, the chaourason, sturgeon, the achigau, the gilthead, 

 tunny, shad, lamprey, smelts, conger-eels, mackerel, soles, herrings, 

 anchovies, and pilchards. Some of the porpoises of the river St. Law- 

 rence are said to yield a hogshead of oil; and of their skins waist- 

 coats are made, which are excessively strong, and musket proof. 

 The lencornet is a kind of cuttle fish, quite round, or rather oval : 

 there are three sorts of them, which differ only in size ; some being 

 as large as a hogshead, and others but a foot long ; they catch only 

 the last, and that with a torch : they are excellent eating. The go- 

 berque has the taste and smell of a small cod. The sea-plaise is good 

 eating ; they are taken with long poles armed with iron hooks. The 

 chaourason is an armed fish, about five feet long, and as thick as a 

 man's thigh, resembling a pike ; it is covered with scales that are 

 proof against a dagger; its colour is a silver gray; and there grows 

 under its mouth a long bony substance, ragged at the edges. One 

 may easily conceive that an animal so well fortified is a ravager among 



