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Show 10 1759• V I R G I N I A. the greatefl: abundance. In the m:u~1es are f~u~d forufes, a particular fpecies of bird, n re ~x-: ~litely ?ehcwus than the ortolan, fnipes al fo and du ~ r Y nous kmds. T.he American {}1ell-drake and bluewing ex all of the duck ktnd whatfoever; and thefe are in prodigious numbers. I~ the woods there are variety of birds remarkable both for fingwg and for beauty; of which are the mocking- bi.rd, the red-bird. or n~gh:ingale, the blue-bird, the yellow-bird, the hummtng- b1rd , the B::tltimore-bird, the fummer-duck, the turtle, and feveral other forts. Reptiles and infeets are almoll ·innumerable: fome of them, indeed are harmlefs and beautiful; fuch as the black-fnake, the bead-fnake, the garter-fnake, the fire-fly, and feveral forts of butterflies; but the rattle-fnake and viper, and many other-s are exceedingly venomous and deadly f. Of quadrupeds there are various kinds; fquirrels of four or five different fpecies :t·, * The humminD"-bird is the fmallefl: and the mofl: beautiful of all the fea- o thered race : its colours are green, crimfon, and gold : it lives chiefly by fuc-tion upon the fweets and eJTenc of flowers : and nothing can be more curious than to obferve numbers of them in gardens where there are honeyfuckles or trumpet-flowers, flying from flower to flower, putting their flender bills into every one, and fucking out the fweetefl: juices. The motion of th eir wings is incredibly fwift, and produces a hummiHg noife, not unlike that of a large humble bee. They are frequently kept in cages, but feldom live longer than two months. The food which is given them, is either honey or fugar, mixed with water. Repeated attempts hav-e been made to fend them alive to England, but always without fuccefs. t There are two very curious fpecies of frogs in Virginia; one is called the bull-frog, which is prodigiou!ly large, and makes fo loud a noife, that it may be heard at a great difl:ance: the other is a [mall green frog, which fits upon the boughs of trees, and is found in almoft every garden. See Cate!by's Natural Hifl:ory of Carolina. t Of the feveral fpecies of fquirrels, the ground and flying-fquirrels are much the fo1all.eft and mofl: beautiful. The former are of a dufky orange hu e~ opof- _ V I R G I N I A. opotiums, racoons, foxes, beavers, and deer: and in the defarts and uninhabited parts, wolves, bears, panthers, elks or moofe-deer, buffaloes, mountain-cats, and various other forts. Such are in general the natural productions of this ·country. Viewed and confidered as a fettlernent, Virginia is far from being arrived at that degree of perfection which it is capable of. Not a tenth of the land is yet cultivated : and that which is cultivated, is far from being fo in the mofi: advantacreous b manner. It produces, however, confiderable quantities of grain and cattle and fruit of many kinds. The Virginian pork is faid to be fuperior in flavour to any in the world; but the fheep and horned cattle being frnall and lean, the meat of them is inferior to that of Great Britain, or indeed, of molt parts of Europe. The horfes are fleet and beautiful; and the gentlemen of Virginia, who are exceedingly fond of horfe-racing, have fpared no expence or trouble to improve the breed of them by importing great numbers from England. The fruits introduced here from Europe fucceed extremely well; particularly peaches, which have a very fine flavour, and grow in fuch plenty as to ferve to feed the hogs in the autumn of the year. Their blolfoms in the fpring make a beautiful appearance throughout the country. fl:reaked with black; the latter grey or alb-coloured, and elegantly formed. Thefe have a fpreading or fan-tail, and two membranes adhering to their fides ; which when they fpring or leap from a tree, they expand, and are thereby enabled to fly through a confiderable fpace. The former are of a very wild nature; but thefe may be eafily 1 and are frequently tamed.-There is a fpecies of polecat in this part of America, which is commonly called a fkunk. This animal, when purfued, or aJTailed by its enemy, ejetl:s its urine; which emits fuch a fetid and infupportable fl:cnch, as almofr to fiifle and fuftocatc whatever is within the reach of it. c 2 Vir- I I |