In the low Marishes grow plots of Onyons, containing an Acre of ground or more in many places; but they are small, not past the bignesse of the toppe of ones Thumbe.
Their chiefe beasts are Deere.
Aroughcun. {MN-1}
Squirrels. {MN-2}
Of beasts the chiefe are Deere, nothing differing from ours. In the deserts towards the heads of the rivers, there are many, but amongst the rivers few. {MN-1} There is a beast they call Aroughcun, much like a badger, but useth to live on trees as Squirrels doe. {MN-2} Their Squirrels some are neare as great as our smallest sort of wilde Rabbets, some blackish or blacke and white, but the most are gray.
Assapanick, a squirrel flying.
Oppasum. {MN-1}
Mussacus. {MN-2}
A small beast they have they call Assapanick, but we call them flying Squirrels, because spreading their legs, and so stretching the largenesse of their skins, that they have beene seene to fly 30 or 40 yards. {MN-1} An Opassom hath a head like a Swine, and a taile like a Rat, and is of the bignesse of a Cat. Under her belly shee hath a bagge, wherein she lodgeth, carrieth, and suckleth her young. {MN-2} A Mussascus is a beast of the forme and nature of our water Rats, but many of them smell exceeding strongly of Muske. Their Hares no bigger then our Conies, and few of them to be found.
Beares.
The Beaver. {MN-1}
Otters. {MN-2}
Utchunquoyes. {MN-3}
Foxes. {MN-4}
Dogges. {MN-5}
Martins. {MN-6}
Polecats. {MN-7}
Weesels, and Minkes. {MN-8}
Their Beares are very little in comparison of those of Muscovia and Tartaria. {MN-1} The Beaver is as big as an ordinary water dog, but his legs exceeding short. His forefeete like a dogs, his hinder feet like a Swans. His taile somewhat like the forme of a Racket, bare without haire, which to eat the Salvages esteeme a great delicate. {MN-2} They have many Otters, which as the Beavers they take with snares, and esteeme the skins great ornaments, and of all those beasts they use to feed when they catch them. {MN-3} An Utchunquoyes is like a wilde Cat. {MN-4} Their Foxes are like our silver haired Conies, of a small proportion, and not smelling like those in England. {MN-5} Their Dogges of that Country are like their Woolves; and cannot barke but howle, and the Woolves not much bigger then our English Foxes. {MN-6} Martins, {MN-7} Polecats, {MN-8} Weesels, and Minkes we know they have, because we have seene many of their skinnes, though very seldome any of them alive. But one thing is strange, that we could never perceive their Vermine destroy our Hennes, Egges, nor Chickens, nor doe any hurt, nor their flyes nor serpents any way pernicious, where in the South parts of America they are alwayes dangerous, and often deadly.
Birds.
Of Birds the Eagle is the greatest devourer. Hawkes there be of divers sorts, as our Falconers called them: Sparrow-hawkes, Lanarets, Goshawkes, Falcons and Osperayes, but they all prey most upon fish. Their Partridges are little bigger then our Quailes. Wilde Turkies are as bigge as our tame. There are Woosels or Blackbirds with red shoulders, Thrushes and divers sorts of small Birds, some red, some blew, scarce so bigge as a Wrenne, but few in Sommer. In Winter there are great plentie of Swans, Cranes, gray and white with blacke wings, Herons, Geese, Brants, Ducke, Wigeon, Dotterell, Oxeies, Parrats, and Pigeons. Of all those sorts great abundance, and some other strange kinds, to us unknowne by name. But in Sommer not any, or a very few to be seene.
Fish.