except
that in the time of a deep snow they should have some attention. Milch
cows also are much less trouble than they are in Holland, as most of
the time, if any care be requisite, it is only for the purpose of giving
them occasionally a little hay.

The wild animals are principally lines,(3) but they are few; bears, of
which there are many, elks and deer in great numbers, some of which are
entirely white, and others wholly black. The savages say that the white
deer are of very great consequence in the estimation of the other deer,
and are exceedingly beloved, regarded and honored by the others, but
that the reverse is true of the black deer. There are various other
large animals in the interior, but they are unknown to the Christians.
There are also wolves, dangerous only to small cattle, beavers, otters,
weasels, wild cats, foxes, raccoons, minks, hares, musk-rats, about as
large as cats, pole-cats and squirrels, some of which can fly. There
are also ground-hogs and other small animals, but they are for the most
part, as we have said, not known to the Christians.

(1) A deep-red Spanish wine.

(2) The original has water-limoenen, water-citrons, for the
watermelon, little known in Dutch gardens at this time, was
regarded rather as a citron than as a melon.

(3) Panthers.

Of birds this country is by no means without its share. There are great
numbers of birds of prey, as eagles of two kinds--the bald-headed, which
has the head, tail and principal wing-feathers white, and the common
kind; hawks, buzzards, sparrow-hawks, crows, chicken-hawks, and many
others, yet all are birds of prey and capable of being trained and used
for hunting, though they differ somewhat in shape from those in the
Netherlands. There is also a bird which has its head like a cat, and its
body like a large owl, colored white.(1) We know no name for it in the
Netherlands, but in France it is called grand duc, and is esteemed very
highly.

(1) The cat-owl or great barred own, bubo Virginianus. It
is not white, but neither is the grand duc, the European
bubo. Van der Donck, in his _Beschryvinge_, says, "of a
light ash color."

The other birds found in this country are turkies, the same as in the
Netherlands, but they are wild, and are plentiest and best in winter;
several kinds of partridges, some smaller than in the Netherlands,
others larger, curlews, wood and water snipes, pheasants, heath-he