NORTH AMERICA® 277 
lad are become very fcarce, and when feen are dis- 
covered about old log buildings. 
Here are Several Species of the tortoife, befides 
thofe already mentioned; as the Small land tor- 
toife, already defcribed by every traveller. There 
is a good figure and description of him in G® 
Edwards’s Gl. Nat. Hift. voh II. p. 205. There 
are two Ipecies of frefh-water tortoifes inhabiting 
the tide water rivers ; one of which is large, weigh- 
ing ten or twelve pounds, the back fiiell of nearly 
an oval form, and railed very high, the belly 
Shell fiat and entire, but deeply Scolloped oppofite 
the legs. The other Species are Small, com- 
paratively, and the back fiiell lightly raiSed : both 
fpecies are food for mankind, and efteemed deli- 
cious. 
Of beafts, the otter (lutra) is common, but more 
So in Weft Florida, towards the mountains. The 
Several fpecies of mu fie la are common; as the 
mink, weafel and polecat (putorius). Racoons and 
opoftums are in great abundance; thefe animals 
are efteemed delicious and healthy food. There 
are two fpecies of wild-rats ; but neither of them 
near as large as the European houfe rat, which are 
common enough in the fettlements of the white 
people. Here are very few mice ; yet I have feen 
feme, particularly in Charlefton, I faw two in a 
little wire cage, at a gentleman’s houfe, which were 
as white as fnow, and their eyes red. There are 
yet a few beavers in Eaft-Florida and Georgia, but 
they abound moft in the north of Georgia, and in 
Weft- Florida, near the mountains. But the mufk- 
cat (caftor cauda lanceolata) is never feen in Ca- 
rolina, Georgia or Florida, within one hundred 
miles of the fea coaft, and very few in the mofl 
T 3 northern 
