496 
RURAL HOURS. 
here only seventy years since. Jiloose, stags, deer, wolves must 
have all passed over the lake every Avinter. To this day, the 
ice on the northern Avaters of our State is said to be strewed 
with carcasses of deer, which haA^e been killed by the Avolves. 1 n 
former times, when the snoAv lay on these hills which Ave noAv 
call our own, the Indians by the lake shore must haA-e often 
Avatched the wild creatures, not only moving over the ice, but 
along the hill-sides also, for at this season one can see far into the 
distant hanging Avoods, and a living animal of any size moA’ing 
over the Avhite ground, would be plainly obsen^cd. To-day the 
forests are quite deserted in Avinter, except Avhere the Avood-cut- 
ters are at Avork, or a few rabbits and squirrels are gliding oA'er 
the snow. 
It would seem that although the Avild animals found in these 
regions by the Dutch on their arrival, have been generally driven 
out of the southern and eastern counties, all the different species 
may yet be found Avithin the limits of the present State. Their 
numbers have been very much reduced, but they have not as yet 
been entirely exterminated. The only exceptions are the Bison, 
Avhich is credibly supposed to haA'e existed here several centuries 
since, and perhaps the Reindeer. 
Bears Avere once very numerous in this part of the country, but 
they are now confined to the Avilder districts. Occasionally, one 
Avill wander into the cultivated neighborhoods. They are still 
numerous in the hilly counties to the southAvard of our OAvn, and 
they do not appear to be very soon driven aAvay from their old 
grounds ; within forty-five years, a bear has Avintcred in a cave on 
a petty stream a couple of miles from the village. They retire 
Avith the first fall of snow, and pass three or four months in their 
