A Treatise of Buggs

by John Southall

At four Weeks, List Browner.

At five Weeks, List deeper Brown.

At six Weeks, the Sides brown, and the List hardly discernible.

At seven Weeks, they come to be of their proper Colour, all over brown.

At eight Weeks, they grow bigger.

Nine Weeks, Ditto.

Ten Weeks, Ditto.

At eleven Weeks, they are full grown.

Vide the Plate done from Europeans bred: under which is a single one longer and larger, than our full-grown, being a full-grown American bred. ’Tis needless to give the Gradations of that Species, because when they spawn and breed here, the Young degenerate, and are of the European Size.

As I wrote down the Time I put up all Pairs for breeding, and also the Times they spawn’d, and observ’d and set down the Numbers they generally spawn’d; I found by my account of above forty Pair so put up with various Foods, not only their best-beloved Foods, but also their Method of Breeding; of which, to render my Observations of publick Service, I shall give you an account.