USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 37
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4.3.0
HISTORY OF THE
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CHAPTER XIV.
ZOOLOGY.
'ZOOLOGY constitutes that branch of natural history which relates to animals. Linnæus divides the animal kingdom into six classes, the characters of which are taken from the internal structure of the being treated of.
Each of the classes of animals is subdivided by Linnaeus into different orders, &c.
The First Class-denominated mammalia, from the female's suckling its young, comprehends all viviparous animals, with warm blood.
These, with few exceptions, have teeth fixed in their jaw bones ; and from the form and number of these teeth, the or- ders are distinguished, except that of cetaceous fishes, which is known by the fins that are found in the place of feet.
The first order of primates contains man, monkeys and bats.
The second order, called bruta, among others, contains the elephant, the rhinoceros, the ant eater, the ornithorinoceros, &c.
The third order, called fera, contains the seal, the dog, the cat, the lion, the tiger, the panther, the weasel, the mole, and most beasts of prey ; the kangaroo and opossum belong to this order.
The fourth order, called glires, comprehends beavers, mice, hares and squirrels. .
'The fifth order, pecora, comprehends camels, sheep, and horned cattle,
The sixth order, belluæe, comprehends the horse, hippopota- mus, and the hog.
The seventh, and last order, contains cetaceous fishes, or whales, &c.
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STATE OP NEW-YORK.
Second Class-Birds, which constitute this class, are divid- ed according to the form of their bills, into six orders.
The first order is denominated accipitres, and comprehends eagles, vultures, hawks, &c.
The second order is called pica, and comprehends crows, jackdaws, parrots, humming birds, &c.
The third is called anseres, and comprehends ducks, swans, gulls, &c.
The fourth order is called grallæ, and comprehends herons, woodcocks, ostritches, &c.
The fifth order is called gallina, and comprehends peacocks, pheasants, hens, turkeys, &c.
The sixth, and last order. is called passeres, and comprehends sparrows, larks, thrushes, doves, &c.
Third Class-Amphibia constitute this class. Their blood is little warmer than he surrounding medium. They are divid- ed into two orders.
The first order is called reptilia ; as the tortoise, the dragon, or flying lizard, the frog, the toad, &c. All these have four feet.
The second order is called serpentes. These have no feet. Most serpents are without fangs. Those having fangs, as the vattle snake, &c. are poisonous, but those without, as the black snake, &c. are not.
The animals constituting the third class, can live for some time without respiration, since the whole of their blood does . not pass through the lungs.
The preceding classes have lungs for respiration, and receive air by the mouth, &c.
Fourth Class-'This class comprehends most fishes, and is subdivided into six orders. Four of these orders have regu- har gills, supported by little bones, and are distinguished ac- cording to the place of their central fins, into apodes, as the eel and lamprey ; jugulares, as the cod; thoracici, as the sole and perch ; and abdominales, as the salmon pike, &c.
The two remaining orders, called branchiostigi, and chon- dropterygii, are without bones in the gills, the one being soft
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IHISTORY OF THE .
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and the other cartilagenous, or gristly. The sun fish, the Jump fish, the fishing frog, the sea horse, &c. are of the former, and the sturgeon, skate, shark, &c. of the latter order.
Fifth Class-This class comprehends insects, and is divided into seven or more orders. ", . .:
The first order is called coleoptera ; the second, hemiptera ; the third, lepidoptera ; the fourth, neuroptera ; the fifth, hy- menoptera ; the sixth, diptera ; the seventh, aptera, &c.
The first have hard sheaths to their wings, and are generally called beetles.
'The second have sheathes of a softer nature; these are called grasshoppers, bugs, plant lice, &c.
The third have dusty scales on their wings, as butterflies, moths, &c.
The fourth have transparent wings, but no stings, and are called dragon flies, May flies, and other flies, &c.
The fifth have stings, which are either poisonous or not, as bees, wasps and ichneumons, &c.
. The sixth have two wings, as common flies, gnats, &c.
The seventh are without wings, and comprehend crabs, lob- sters, shrimps, prawns, spiders, scorpions, millepedes, antipedes, miles, &c.
Sixth Class-These are called veries, and are the lowest of animated beings. This class is subdivided into five orders.
The first order is called intestina, as earth worms, and as- carides.
The second order is called mollusca, such as the dew snail, the cuttle fish, the sea anemone, and the hydra, or fresh water polype,
The third order is called testacea, and comprehends all ani- mals with shells of one or more pieces. Most animals belong- ing to this order inhabit the ocean, and are denominated shell fish. The limpit, the periwincle, the snail, the musle, the oyster, the barnacle, &c. may be enumerated.
The fourth order called zoophyta, contains corallines, spon- ges, and other compound animals, united by a common habi- tation, which has the appearance of a vegetable.
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
The fifth order is called infusiora. It is scarcely distinguish- · ed from the intestina and molusca, than by minuteness and spontaneous appearance, in animal and vegetable infusions.
The following tables contain the names of the quadrupeds, .
birds, amphibia, fishes, &c. of the State of New-York, so far as they are known to us. We have noted such as have been imported. - In the class, mammalia, our arrangement of the or- ders is not scientific, but this was unavoidable :-
CLASS I. MAMMALIA.
Order 5 .- Pecora.
Black moose
Cervus alces niger
Grey moose
Cervus alces cinereus
Elk
Cervus wapite
Deer
Cervus
There are two varieties of the moose, the grey and the black ; both are indigenous.
Carribou, or rein deer Cervus
The carribou is not, at present, an inhabitant of this State- he is found in Maine, Canada, &c.
: Order 3 .- Feræ.
1.
Panther, or ounce
Pardus, aut panthera
Lynx
Felis lynx, aut lupus cervarius
Wild cat
Catus ferus, felis fera, aut catus cervarius
Black cat
Catus niger
Black bear
Ursus Americanus
Black bear with short legs
Ursus brevis crus
Wolverene
. Ursus luscus
Racoon
Ursus lotor Piscator
4
l'isher, or pecan
Red fox
Canis vulpes ruber
Gray fox
Canis vulpes cinereus
Black fox
Canis vulpes niger
VOL. I.
55
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, 434
HISTORY OF THE
Cross fox Wolf Black wolf Dog Weasel Ermine Martin
Sable Skunk Kinkajou
Otter
Mink
Hedge hog, or porcupine Urchin, or urson
Back mole
Meadow mole, of a dark mouse colour .
Canis vulpes obliquus
Canis lupus Americanus Canis lupus niger Canis indicus
Viverra vulgaris
Viverra Americanus
Viverra martes Viverra zibellina
Viverra putorius Americanus
Lutra, lytra Canadensis, aut lu tra vulgaris Minx Canadensis Erinaceus Americanus, aut hy- strix dorsata Talpa Americanus
Talpa pratensis .'.
Order 4 .- Glires.
Beaver
Musk rat
Rabbit
-.
Hare
Lepus timidus, aut lepus Ameri- canus, aut lepus variabilis
Sciuris cinereus
. Sciuris niger .
Striped squirrel Flying squirrel
Wood mouse
Wood rat
Jerboa
Woodchuck, or ground hog
Castor, aut fiber Americanus Mus zibethicus, aut mus Cana- densis Lepus cuniculus, aut lepus Ame- ricanus
UMAN
Grey squirrel Black squirrel Red squirrel
Sciuris ruber Sciuris striatus Sciuris volans Mus sylvaticus Mus
Dipus Canadensis
Monax Americanus, aut monax arctomy's
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
.
The woodchuck may be called the American marmotte. It is, hewever, a distinct genus from the marmotte of the Alps, described by the Count Buffon.
Order 1 .- Primates. Vespertilio murinus 1
Bat
Order 2 .- Bruta.
Mastodon .
Genus mastodon, aut elephas Americanus
The mastodon has no longer an existence in this State, or on the globe ; its bones, however, have been found buried in the marshy lands along Wallkill, river.
ANIMALS IMPORTED. Ist Class-Mammalia. 5th Order-Pecora.
Cow, or ox
Bos
Sheep Ovis aries
Goat Capra hircus
The common ox is the bison, reduced to a domestic state. It has run into as many varieties as the sheep. Bos Americanus et bos moschatus, are natives of America. The latter is call- ed the musk ox. The bison, or wild ox, formerly lived in some parts of the western country. He is now found on th Mississippi, as far north as latitude forty-three or four. T' American bison has not been reclaimed.
6th Order-Belluæ.
Horse
Equus caballus
Ass
Equus asinus
Hog
Porcus
Guinea pig Cavia
The latter is a native of Brazil, in South America. It ca' not endure the winter in open air.
3d Order-Fera.
Dog Cat
Canis familiaris Felis catus
436
HISTORY OF THE
4th Order-Glires.
Rat Mouse
Mus decumanus Mus musculus
CLASS 2. BIRDS. Ist Order-Accipitres.
Great grey eagle
Falco regalis
Bald eagle .
Falco leucocephalus
Sea eagle
· Falco ossifragus
Osprey, or fish kawk
Falco haliætus
Great eagle hawk
Falco aquilinus, aut cauda fer- ruginio
Hen hawk
Falco gillinarius
Large pigeon hawk
Small pigeon hawk
Chicken hawk
Falco pularius, aut sparverius
Great horned owl
Strix pythaules. Corpore rufo
Whooting owl, or large grey owl
Strix acclamator
Screech owl
Strix asio. Corpore ferruginio Strix bubo
Cat owl, or horned owl small grey owl White owl
Strix
Strix arcticus. Corpore toto nievo Strix perigrinator, corpore ver- sicolore. Strix aluco
Barn owl
Strix passeri
The order accipitres, comprehends four generas, as the vul- ture, falcon, strix and lanius. The vulture and lanius are not natives of the State.
2d Order-Picæ.
Raven
Corvus corax
Crow
Blue jay
. Corvus corone :. Corvus glandarius, aut christatus Picus pileatus
Black woodcock
High hole, or golden wing- ed woodpecker
Picus auratus
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Striped winged, or speckled ? owl 3
Falco milvus, aut falco furcatus Falco columbarius
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437
Redheaded woodpecker Large speckled, or hairy woodpecker of Catesby , · Lesser speckled woodpecker Small speckled, or small blu- ish grey woodpecker Humming bird
Golden robbin, or gold finch
Picus erythrocephalus
Picus villocus
Picus minor
Picus pubescens
Trochilus colubris
· Kingfisher ; Alcedo alcyon
Lanius tyrannus --
Oriolus icterus
Oriolus aureus
3d Order-Anseres.
Ducks -
- Anas
Golden eye : Anas clangula
Great wild duck Duck and mallard
Bull neck, or buffaloe head quindar Black white faced duck
Anas bucephala
Anas leueocephala Anas Americanus lato rostro
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Blue winged shoveller Summer duck Blue winged teal Least green winged teal Whistling duck Light brown and white duck Little black and white duck. Various coloured duck Black duck
Anas sponsa Anas discors Anas migratoria Anas fistulosa Anas rustica Anas minor picta
Anas principalis maculata
Anas niger
Anas molissma Anas cinereus Anas hyemalis, aut strepera Anas Anas lata falx Anas albeola
Sea duck Grey duck Old wife €
Canvass duck Broad billed duck Dipper
Anas fera torquata, major, ca- put et collum veridi splend-n- tis, dorsum griseo fuscum, pectore rufuscente, speculum violacrum.
King bird Hang bird
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HISTORY OF, THE
Wood duck
Anas sylvaticus, aut arborea
Domestic Ducks-There are two kinds.
Common duck
Anas domesticus
Anas moschata
Muscovy duck
The latter is a native of Brazil and not of Muscovy.
Shell drake
Mergus
Cream coloured shell drake
Mergus merganser
Red bellied shell drake
Mergus serrator
Pied shell drake
Mergus castor
Great fishing duck
Mergus major putore rufo
Round crested duck
Mergus cucultatus
Colymbus migratorius
Teals-Anas.
Blue bill, or scaup duck Swan
Anas marilla
Anas cygnus
Brent goose
Anas bernicla
Wild goose
Anas Canadensis -
Tame goose
Anas anser
Loon
Colymbus immer
Water hen
Alca arctica Larus alber
Great white gull
Great grey gull
Larcus griseus
Little white river gull
Larus alba minor
Mackarel gull
Larus ridibundus
Fishing gull -
Sterna minuta
4th Order-Grallæ.
Crane
Ardea Canadensis
Stork
Ardea ciconia
Shite poke Ardea
Heron
Ardea
Wood snipe
Scolopax fedoa
English snipe
Grey snipe
Yellow legged snipe Robin snipe
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Eel crow
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439
Small sand snipe, or com- mon snipe Little pond snipe
Plover Kilde, or chattering plover
Scolopax gallinago
Tringa griseus
Charadrius Charadrius
5th Order-Gallina.
Wild turkey
Heath hen Meadow hen
Patridge, or pheasant Quail
Meleagris Americanus, aut gallo
pavo sylvestris
Gallina erica
Pratum gallina
Tetras tympanus Tetrao minor
DOMESTIC FOWLS.
Tame turkey Gallus numidicus, aut Ameri- canus It is uncertain at this day whether our domestic turkeys are descended from the European stock, or those indigenous to America.
Hen
Gallina
Guinea hen
Peacock
Gallina Indica Pavo vel pavus
6th Order-Passares.
Field lark, or large lark
Alauda magna
Sky lark
Alauda alpestris
Robbin
Turdus migratorius
Fox colored thrush
Turdus rufus
Wood thrush
Turdus melodes
Thrush, or mock bird
Turdus polyglottus
Black bird, or crow black bird
Turdus merula
Small brownish black bird
Small black bird with white on its wings, or skunk black bird Red winged black bird, or 2 marsh black bird 5
Turdus subniger Turdus nigeralis superne albus
Turdus niger. Alissturnus ni- geralis superne rubentibus
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HISTORY OF THE
House swallow Barn swallow Ground swallow Black martin House martin Tame pigeon Wild pigeon Turtle dove Snow bird
Boblincoln
Yellow bird Small, or lesser yellow bird Least yellow bird
Blue bird
Wren Marsh wren
Little bluish grey wren Cat bird
Spring bird
Night hawk
Whipporwell Cross bill
Hedge bird Red bird
Little sparrow
Chipping bird, or little house sparrow
Lesser chipping bird, or sparrow
Small chipping bird, or sparrow Phebe bird
Winter sparrow
Red, fox coloured, ground or hedge sparrow Large brown white throat- ed sparrow
· Hirundo cauda aculeata Hirundo rustica Hirundo riparia Hirundo purpurea Hirundo domus" Columba domestica Columba migratoria Columba carolinensis Emberiza hyemalis Emberiza oryzivora, aut cardu- elus Americanus Fringilla aurea Carduelus pinus Carduelus pusilus
Motacilla cœrulia. Rubicula American cardulea
Motacilla regulus Motacilla palustris Regulus griseus Muscicapa vertice nigro
, Fringilla salio
Caprimulgus Americanus Caprimulgus minor Americanus Loxia curverostra Muscicapa Canadensis Avis ruber Passerculus
Passer domesticus
Passer palustris
Passer agrestis
Fringilla grisea
Fringilla rufa
Fringilla fusca
3
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STATE OF NEW-YORK. :
3d Class-Amphibia. 1st Order-Reptilia.
River turtle Mud turtle Common frog Bull frog Tree frog Common toad, or land toad Tree toad Water toad
Testudo fluviatilis Testudo lutaria Rana temporania Rana catesbeiana, aut rana boans Rana arborea Rana bufo Rana zebra
Rana fluviatilis Rana niger
Black toad
Lizard, or yellow lizard.
Striped lizard Water lizard
Swamp lizard Swift
Lacerta Lacerta fusciata
2d Order-Serpentes.
Rattle snake
Pilot, or copper head
Land adder
Water adder
Small brown adder
House adder
Black snake
White necked black snake
Striped snake
Green snake Yellow bellied snake Milk snake Water snake
Natrix
4th Class-Fishes. 1st Order-Apodes.
Salt water eel Fresh water eel, or river. cel -VOL. I. .
Muræena anguilla Muræena fluviatilis 56
Crotalus horridus, aut caudiso- na horrida
Caput gemmans Coluber terrestris Coluber fasciatus Coluber striatulus Coluber punctatus Coluber constrictor
Coluber Anguis cryx Coluber saurita
1
Lacerta punctata Lacerta. striata
Lacerta aquatica
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HISTORY OF THE
, Sea lamprey Lesser lamprey Conger eel Sun fish Skate, or ray -
Sword fish
Sword fish of Lake Ontario
Petromyzon marinus Petromyzon fluviatilis Muræna congre Tetrodon Raia Xiphias patypterus, aut xiphias gladius Xiphias gladius Ontarionis
2d Order-Jugularis. Genus Gadus.
Cod
Haddock
Gadus Marhua Gadus æglefinus
Pollock
Hake
Whiting
Gadus pollachius Gadus merluccius .Gadus merlangus Gadus barbacus Gadus luscus Gadus minuties Gadus pollachius parvus
Whiting pout Bib Poor Small pollock Tusk
Gadus brosme
1 -
Genus Cottus.
Bullhead
River bullhead
Cottus gobio Cottus gobio fluviatilis
.„¢
Bullfish
Cottus
Catfish
Sheep's-head
Siluris
Catfish of Lake Erie
Silurus catus
Genus Pleuronectes. --
Plaice Ilolibut
Flounder
Pleuronectes platessa Pleuronectes hippoglossus Pleuronectes flesus
. Genus Lophius. Angler, or common fishing frog Lophius piscatorius .
Sole
Yellow perch Black perch White' perch Sea perch
Sea bass Streaked bass Otsego bass Black bass White bass
STATE OF NEW-YORK. 443
3d Order-Thoracici. Pleuronectes solea
Perch-Perca fluviatilis
Perca aurea Perca niger Perca candida Perca marina
Bass-Centropomus
Centropomus marinus Centropomus striatus Centropomus Otsegensis Centropomus niger Centropomus candidus
Mackerel-Scomber
Mackerel
Tunny
Blue mackerel Horse mackerel
Mullet
Mullet
Red mullet
Striped mullet
Common sucker
Black sucker
Pout
Red gurnard-Trigla ruber, aut cuculus
Grey gurnard Streaked gurnard Smelt
Trigla cinereus -
Trigla lineatta Osmerus eparlanus
Gar fish
Lepisosteus osseous
Genus Pomatomus.
Skibjack
Pomatomus skib
4th Order-Abdominalis. Salmon-Salmo Salmo salar, aut salax
Salmon
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S. scomber Scomber thynnus Scomber cærulus Scomber Mugil marinus
Mugil fluviatilis Mugil barbatus, aut mullus
Mugil striatus Cyclopterus fluviatilis Cyclopterus niger Ascellus barbatus
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HISTORY OF THE .
Lake salmon
Salmo eriox
Salmon trout-Salmo trutta
Trout
Truta, aut trutta
Red bellied trout
Trutta salvelinus. velinus
Salmo sal-
Speckled trout
Yellow trout
Trutta maculata Trutta fario. Salmo fario
Char
Trutta alpinus
Pike
Esox lucius
Pickerell
Esox luciolus
Mascanunga
Esox erica
Herring Pilchard
Clupea harengus
Clupea pilchardus
Shad
Clupea alosa
Sprat Anchovy Angel fish
Clupea encrasicolus Squatina
Carp
Cyprinus carpio Cyprinus rutilus
Dace, or lake chubb
Common chubb
Sisco, or lake herring
White fish
Salmo harengus formis Salmo clupea formis
Golden bream
Black, or blue bream
Red bellied bream
Silver, or white bream
Yellow bream
Cyprinus aureus Cyprinus niger, aut caerulas Cyprinus ruber Cyprinus candidus Cyprinus flavus
6th Order-Chondropterygii. Genus Acipenser.
Common sturgeon Lake sturgeon
Acipenser sturio Acipenser hufo
Genus Squalus Shark. -
Blue shark Barking shark White shark
Squalus glaucus Squalus maximus Squalus careharias
Clupea sprattus
Roach
Cyprinus leuciscus Cyprinus jeses
STATE OF NEW-YORK. 445
Porbeagle shark Great dog fish Lesser dog fish Toad fish
. Squalus cornubicus Squalus canicula Squalus catulus Lophus piscatorius
.
Order 10th-Amphibious .. Genus Pocha.
Common seal Pocha vitulina Seals have occasionally been taken in lakes Champlain and Ontario.
Order Cete-Genu Ballæna.
Common whale
Balæna mysticetus
Genus Delphinus.
Porpus Delphinus phocena Grampus Delphinus orcas 1
Genus Lopias
Toad fish
Lophius piscatorius
,
Those in the catalogue following are not arranged.
Shiner Manhaden Weakfish
Flatfish, or flounder
Bonetto
Kingfish Silverfish
Grunts
Sawfish
Chromis Pristes antiquorum
Red-drum Black-drum
Branded-drum
Sheep'shead-drum Killifish Bergall
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446
HISTORY OF THE
Tomcod Spearings Frostfish Blowfish Stengrey Sardine
1
Lumpfish
Cyclopterus lumpus
Alewife
Flyingfish
Angler, or fishing frog, found on the south shore of Long Island
Blue fish Begallo
Buffalo fish, found in Lake Erie
Porsie
Pond fish
In relation to the preceding arrangement and classification, I have consulted Nicholson's Encyclopaedia, Philadelphia edi- tion-Rees' Encyclopaedia, and the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia.
:
Quadrupeds. 1
We have estimated the number of quadrupeds, in the State of New-York, at forty species, without including several varie- ties, and those that have been imported. Several are similar to those of the eastern continent, while others are different. The moose, the bear, the wolf, the squirrel, &c. present varieties.
Moose-There are two varieties, the black and the grey.
'The black moose is the largest quadruped found in our for- ests. Its height is from seven to nine feet ; its length from the end of the nose to the insertion of the tail, is from seven to ten feet, and its girth from six to nine feet. Its head is large, its neck short, its eyes small, its, ears long, broad and thick, its upper lip is square, and hangs over the lower, its tail is short, its horns are palmated, and its hoofs cloven. It inhabits the extensive forests lying between the Mohawk and St. Law- rence rivers, and lakes Champlain and Ontario. Its manners are extremely gentle and inoffensive ; it will, however, defend itself with great courage and dexterity when driven to extremity,
STATE OF NEW-YORK. 447
both with his horns and hoofs. Its food is grass, shrubs, and the boughs and bark of trees.
The female usually brings forth two at a birth, in the month of April, which follow her about a year.
In the summer the moose go in families. In winter they con- gregate to the number of twenty or thirty. They choose the coldest places, and when the snow is deep, they form a kind of yard, consisting of several acres, in which they constantly tram- ple, or beat down the snow that they may the more easily range around.
The moose, when roused by the hunter, runs with great ra- pidity-neither brush, logs or fences retarding his progress .-- The hunting of this animal, is with some, a favorite amusement.
The large weigh from nine to twelve hundred pounds, but cases over nine hundred are extraordinary.
The moose is easily domesticated, and may be handled like an ox.
The grey moose inhabits the same forest. Its manners and habitudes are very much like those of the black moose. The only apparent difference seems to consist in size and colour.
The black moose of North America, Europe and Asia, is probably the same animal which anciently inhabited the forests of Germany and Poland. In the sixth book of the Gallic wars, Cesar speaks of an animal which he calls the Urus, which pro- bably was the moose. The words of the text are : " Tertium est genus eorum, qui Uri appellentur. Ii sunt magnitudine paullo infra elephantos ; specie et colore et figura tauri." Mag- na vis est eorum et magna velocitas-page 104.
Cesar did not see this animal, he speaks, as is evident from the words, from hearsay ; but, notwithstanding this, the size, colour, figure, strength and speed of the animal, which he de- scribes, seem to come nearer that of the black moose, than perhaps any other.
The height of the moose is nearer that of the elephant, than that of any other known animal. The bulk, in some instances, is such as to give it a rank above every other animal of the temperate zone. , According to Mr. Williams, some have been
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446
HISTORY OF THE
killed in Vermont, that weighed thirteen hundred pounds, after being dressed, and it is probable, that more to the north they are much larger.
In the bogs and marl beds of recent origin, in Ireland, as well as in America, horns, in the fossil state, and even bones have been dug up, of an enormous size, which apparently belonged to an animal of the deer kind, but are far superior in dimensions, to those of any animal of the genus now known by naturalists. Their length has sometimes been of eight feet, and the distance from the tip of the one to that of the other, has extended to fourteen feet. From the fact, that no animal is now to be found on the globe with horns so enormously large, the inference is, that the species was extirpated by the same catastrophe which destroyed that of the mastodon.
The elk, at present, inhabits the forests of Alleghany, Cat- taraugus and Chatauque. When full grown, it is nearly as tall as an ordinary cow, but it is not so long and heavy .- Its colour is red, in summer and autumn, but changes during the winter. Its horns are round, very large, and branch- ing. These it casts annually in the early part of the season. The female has no horns.
The elk is very swift on foot, and often escapes the hunter. When hard pressed, it plunges into rivers and lakes, and either swims across, or keeps in the water till its pursuers abandon the chase. Its meat is highly relished by some.
The elk subsists on grass, leaves, and the twigs of trees,
The elk is found in various countries lying between Lake Ontario, and the city of Mexico.
Catesby calls it the Cervus Major Americanus, and Dr. Bar- ton, the Cervus Wapite.
The numbers have been greatly reduced during the last twenty years.
The elk is susceptible of domestication, but it is necessary to keep him within a high enclosure, as he is fond of rambling about.
The rein deer, or carribou, it is probable, was once an inha- bitant of this State. The skull and horns have been dug up on
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STATE OF NEW-YORK.
the banks of the river Racket, near the forty-fifth degree, by Col. Hawkins. See Dr. Mitchell's catalogue of organic remains.
The deer originally inhabited all the counties in the State, but at present, it is chiefly confined to the northern and western forests. Its colour, in summer, is a light red, and in autumn, a cinerous brown. Its length, from the point of its nose, to the root of its tail, is about three feet and a-half, its legs are long and slender, its head small, its nose pointed, its eyes large, its horns are round, slender, and branching, and project forward, its tail is short. Its height is about three feet and a-half. It casts its horns every spring.
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