278 
TRAVELS IN 
northern parts of thefe regions ; which mult be con- 
fidered as a moft favourable circumftance, by the 
people in countries where there is fo much banking 
and draining of the land, they being the moft de- 
fir ucfive creatures to dykes. 
The roe-buck I have already mentioned. The 
bears are yet too numerous : they are a ftrong crea- 
ture, and prey on the fruits of the country, and will 
likewife devour young calves, f wine and fheep ; but 
I never could learn a well attefted inftahce of their 
attacking mankind. They Weigh from five hundred 
to fix hundred weight when full grown and fat : their 
flelh is greatly efteemed as food by the natives. 
The wild cat, felis cauda truncata, (lynx) is . 
common enough; it is a fierce and bold little 
animal, preying on young pigs, fawns, turkeys, &c. 
They are not half the fizeof a common cur dog, 
are generally of a greyim colour, and fomewhat 
tabbied ; their fides bordering on the belly ate' va- 
ried with yellowiih brown fpots, and almoft black 
waving ftreaks, and brindled: I have been credibly- 
informed that the wolves here are frequently feen 
pied, black and white, and of other mixed colours. 
They affemble in companies in the night time, howl 
and bark altogether, efpecially in cold winter nights, 
which is terrifying to the wandering bewildered tra- 
veller. * ' : - tlt '' l ' 
The foxes of Carolina and Florida are of the 
fmaller red fpecies ; they bark in the night round 
about plantations, but do not bark twice in the 
fame place ; they move precipitately, and in a few 
minutes are heard on the' oppofite fide of the plan- 
tation, or at a great difrance : it is faid that dogs 
are terrified at the noife, and cannot be perfuaded 
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