SOUTHERN STATES. 



279 



and cougars. When the canes are cut and dried, the negroes enjoy a high amusement m setting 

 fire to them ; the rarified air in the hollow compartments of the cane, bursts them with a report 

 like a discharge of musketry, and the burning of a cane-brake sounds like the roar of a battle. 

 The land thus burned, is in excellent preparation for maize. 

 10. Animals. The Virginia deer is common in the wooded parts of all the Southern States, and 



is particularly abundant in Louisiana. The 

 American elk is sometimes, though rare- 

 ly, met with in the southwestern portion. 

 The bear, wolf, and cougar are occasion- 

 ally found. Red and gray foxes are abun- 

 dant. Besides these, the following quad- 

 rupeds are found in the Southern States : 

 the raccoon, opossum, Maryland marmot, 

 skunk, hare, otter, mink, fox-squirrels, to- 

 gether with the other species of squirrels, 

 already mentioned. The bison does not 

 extend its migrations as far south as Lou- 

 isiana, and is not found east of the Missis- 

 sipjii. Tlie pouched rat is to be seen in 

 great numbers in Florida and Georgia. 

 Their burrows are numerous in various 

 places. The cotton rat is found in East 

 Florida, where its burrows are frequent 

 in deserted plantations and gardens. It 

 makes its nest of cotton. The wood rat 

 is also found in Florida. 



The alligator is conunon in the rivers, 

 lakes, and swamps of the more southern 

 regions, and there is a small and harmless 

 species of lizard, called the striped lizard, 

 which often intrudes into houses, feeding 

 on flies. The swift, another species of 

 lizard, and the Florida chameleon are pe- 

 culiar to this region. The peculiar birds 

 are the Carolina parrot, the turkey buz- 

 zard, the carrion crow or black vulture, 

 the pelican, flamingo, gallinule, ibis, seve- 

 ral herons, and the darter or snake-bird, 

 which have been before described, under 

 North America. The mocking-bird is 

 abundant in the more southern States, and 

 Audubon states, that it is often obliged to 

 defend its nest from the attacks of ser- 

 pents, which it does with spirit and efl'ect 

 INFost of the other birds of N. America 

 frequent these States in winter, but mi- 

 grate to the north in summer. Several spe- 

 cies of sea-turtle are found on the extreme 

 southern coast, much prized as articles of 

 luxury or economical use ; such are the 

 famous green-turtle, so greedily sought by 

 gourmands, and the hawk-bill, whose shell 

 is much valued for combs ; the snapping- 

 turtle of the lagoons, and the soft-shell 

 turtle of the lakes, also make very good 

 , food. The collection of the turtle eggs 



fi!. „_i " •I'^^^T 9"dshores^ furnishes profitable employment to many hands ; they are used 



■^o important a branch of southern industry, that a 



for making oil. Indeed, tiirtlin?- for 



