Aleport
Albicore
Barracha
Barracontha
Blew-fish
Bull-head
Bur-fish
Cat-fish
Cony-fish
Cusk
Clam
Rock-Cod
Sea-Cod
divers kinds
of Crabs
Sea-Cucumber
Cunner
Sea-Darts
or Javelins
Flail-fish
Flounder
or Flowke
Flying-fish
several kinds
Sea-Flea
Grandpisse
Hake
Haddock
Horse-foot
Hallibut
Hen-fish
Lampre
Limpin
Lumpe
Maid
Monk-fish
Sea-mullet
Nun-fish
Perch
Polluck
Periwincle
Pike
Pilat-fish
Plaice
Porpisse
Prawne
Purple-fish
Porgee
Remora
Sea-Raven
Sail-fish
Scallop
[p. 114.] Scate
Stingray
Sculpin
Shadd
Spurlin
Sheath-fish
Smelt
Shrimps
Sprates
Star-fish
Swordfish
Thornback
Turbet
The Ulatife
or saw-fish
Sea-Urchin
Sea-Unichorn
The fish are swum by, and the Serpents are creeping on, terrible creatures, carrying stings in their tails. That will smart worse than a Satyrs whip, though it were as big as Mr. Shepperds the mad Gentleman at Milton-Mowbrayes Constantinus Lasculus.
The chief or Captain of these is the Rattle-snake described already in my Journal, in some places of the Countrey there are none as at Plimouth, New-town, Nahant and some other places, they will live on one side of the River, and but swimming over and coming into the woods dye immediately.
The fat of a Rattle-snake is very Soveraign for frozen limbs, bruises, lameness by falls, Aches, Sprains. The heart of a Rattle-snake dried and pulverized and drunk with wine or beer is an approved remedy against the biting and venome of a Rattle-snake. Some body will give me thanks for [p. 115.] discovering these secrets and the rest; Non omnibus omnia conveniant.
The Snake of which there are infinite numbers of various colours, some black, others painted with red, yellow and white, some again of a grass-green colour powdered all over as it were with silver dust or Muscovie-glass. But there is one sort that exceeds all the rest, and that is the Checkquered snake, having as many colours within the checkquers shaddowing one another, as there are in a Rainbow. There are two sorts of snakes, the land-snake and the water-snake; the water-snake will be as big about the belly as the Calf of a mans leg; I never heard of any mischief that snakes did, they kill them sometimes for their skins and bones to make hatbands off, their skins likewise worn as a Garter is an excellent remedie against the cramp. I have found of the skins that they cast in woods in some quantity, they cast not their very skins, but only the superfluous thin skin that is upon the very skin, for the very skin is basted to the flesh, so Lobsters and Crabs.
The Earth-worm, these are very rare and as small as a horse hair, but there is a Bug that lyes in the earth and eateth the seed, that is somewhat like a Maggot of a white colour with a red head, and is about [p. 116.] the bigness of ones finger and an inch or an inch and half long. There is also a dark dunnish Worm or Bug of the bigness of an Oaten-straw, and an inch long, that in the spring lye at the Root of Corn and Garden plants all day, and in the night creep out and devour them; these in some years destroy abundance of Indian Corn and Garden plants, and they have but one way to be rid of them, which the English have learnt of the Indians; And because it is somewhat strange, I shall tell you how it is, they go out into a field or garden with a Birchen-dish, and spudling the earth about the roots, for they lye not deep, they gather their dish full which may contain about a quart or three pints, then they carrie the dish to the Sea-side when it is ebbing-water and set it a swimming, the water carrieth the dish into the Sea and within a day or two if you go into your field you may look your eyes out sooner than find any of them.
Sow-bugs or Millipedes there be good store, but none of that sort that are blew and turn round as a pea when they are touched; neither are there any Beetles nor Maple-bugs, but a stinking black and red Bug called a Cacarooch or Cockroach, and a little black Bug like a Lady-cow that breeds in skins and furrs and will eat them to their [p. 117.] utter spoil. Likewise there be infinite numbers of Tikes hanging upon the bushes in summer time that will cleave to a mans garments and creep into his Breeches eating themselves in a short time into the very flesh of a man. I have seen the stockins of those that have gone through the woods covered with them. Besides these there is a Bug, but whether it be a Native to the Countrie or a stranger I cannot say: Some are of opinion that they are brought in by the Merchant with Spanish goods, they infest our beds most, all day they hide themselves, but when night comes they will creep to the sleeping wretch and bite him worse than a flea, which raiseth a swelling knub that will itch intolerably, if you scratch it waxeth bigger and growes to a scab; and if you chance to break one of the Bugs it will stink odiously: they call them Chinches or Wood-lice, they are fat, red and in shape like a Tike and no bigger. There are also Palmer-worms which is a kind of Catterpiller, these some years will devour the leaves of Trees leaving them as naked almost as in winter, they do much harm in the English Orchards. Of Snails there are but few, and those very little ones, they lye at the Roots of long grass in moist places, and are no where else to be found. [p. 118.] Spiders and Spinners there be many, the last very big and of several colours.