The WEASEL, -Mustela Nivalis, is exactly similar in Summer to animals of the same species in England. Like the hare, he turns white in Winter, when his fur is remarkably fine and very beautiful.

The ERMINE, Mustela Candida,- differs very little from the weasel in size, form, and habits. In Summer, there is a black spot on the end of his tail, and the edges of his ears are of a light grey. In Winter he is entirely white.

is more

The MARTIN, Martes gutture luteo, than double the size of a weasel. His colour is a kind of sable-white, which is never changed by the weather. These animals are carnivorous, live on squirrels, and are numerous in every part of the country.

The MINK is about the size of a martin, but different in his colour and habits, being black and amphibious.

The OTTERS of Canada do not differ from those of England, except that they are clothed with a thicker and finer coat of fur.

The SKUNK, or American PoLE-CAT, -Mustela Americana Foetida, or "Child of the Devil," Enfant du Diable,-is nearly two feet long and proportionally thick. His tail is long and bushy, and his hair nearly all black, with a few white spots irregularly interspersed over the whole body. He sees badly in the day-time, and is therefore seldom observed abroad but in the evenings, when he makes his appearance in search of food. The Cana

dians eat his flesh; and his oil is used to reduce swellings which proceed from any kind of bruises. He is furnished with organs for secreting and retaining a volatile fœtid sort of liquor, which he has also the power of ejecting to the distance of 15 or 20 yards. When attacked, he never fails to discharge a volley of this offensive ammunition at his pursuers; and seldom gives up the contest, until his whole stock is exhausted.

The OPOSSUM,-Didelphis Marsupealis,-is about 20 inches long. His tail is destitute of hair, and covered with scales, which give it the appearance of a snake's body. His feet and ears are also naked; and he makes use of his fore-paws like a monkey. His hair is long and coarse; and his colour, a grey of various hues. The female is furnished with a pouch under the abdomen, in which she secretes. her young, whenever attacked either by man or beast, and which she has the power of opening and shutting at pleasure. When the young are first brought forth, they are concealed in this pouch, until they are able to run about.

The WOOD-CHUCK, or GROUND-HOG, is an inoffensive animal. His body resembles that of an English pig, but his legs are like those of a bear, and his head exactly similar to that of a lap-dog. He is about eighteen inches long and very thick, burrows like the rabbit, and continues in his den the greater part of the winter. He is grami- . nivorous, and his flesh is said to be quite as good as mutton: In appearance it is equal to the finest

lamb. The skin of this animal is used for whipthongs, and is esteemed greatly superior to any other leather for this purpose.

The Canadian HARE,-Lepus hieme albus,―is very small, always poor, and never worth a charge of powder and shot. In winter it is perfectly white.

There are no RABBITS in Canada, except such as have been imported.

The RACOON,-Ursus Lotor,-in form and size, resembles the fox. His head, feet and body are grey; and his tail, which is long and bushy, is encircled with alternate rings of grey and black. In his habits he bears a striking resemblance to the squirrel. Like him, he scales the loftiest trees, and sports among their branches, leaping from one to another, with a dexterity almost incredible. His food consists of nuts and maize. His flesh is much esteemed by the Canadians, and his fur is used in the manufacture of hats. In Winter he takes up his abode in the trunk of a hollow tree, where, having secured a sufficient stock of provisions, he continues till the disappearing of the snow. He is easily domesticated, and in this state becomes as sportive and mischievous as a monkey.

The GREY SQUIRREL,-Sciurus Cinerius,-is not very common in Canada; a few, however, may be found in every part of the country. This animal is nearly as large as a cat, and, like all others of the squirrel kind, is excessively proud. He is indefatigably employed during summer, in laying up provisions for the winter, which he always de

his

posits in some hollow tree as near as possible to the corn-fields. It is a singular circumstance, that five out of six of these animals are castrated; and it is still more singular, that this operation is performed by the black squirrels, which appear to be in a state of perpetual warfare with their grey brethren.

The BLACK SQUIRREL,-Sciurus niger,-is a very beautiful animal. His body is about twelve inches long, and his tail, which is remarkably elegant in its shape, is nearly the same length. The flesh of this animal is highly esteemed by Canadian epicures, and his skin is of some value. He and his aids-de-camp, the red and striped squirrels, are the cause of more injury to the farmer, than are all the other animals in America together, the wolf alone excepted. They not unfrequently destroy whole fields of corn in a single day. It is with the utmost difficulty and the greatest vigilance, that a crop of corn, which is contiguous to the woods, can be preserved from these and other marauders, till it has attained even the height of six inches. As soon as the blade appears above ground, the striped squirrel commences his pernicious attacks. He is followed by the black-birds, the red-breasts and the caterpillars; and when the little which they leave begins to ripen, the red and black squirrels complete the work of destruction, and finis coronat opus. I believe, there were upwards of one thousand acres of corn, destroyed by the squirrels alone, within the township of London, in the summer of 1820; and I have every year seen many families,

who were nearly, and some entirely, reduced to a state of actual want, by these and other mischievous quadrupeds and insects.

The RED SQUIRREL is smaller than the black one, and, if possible, more beautiful. He is, like al others of the squirrel species, fond of migrating from place to place; and possesses a singular address in crossing brooks, rivers, and small lakes. On arriving at a piece of water, which they wish to cross, a large party of red squirrels assemble together, and constructing a raft of sufficient size, which they launch without any difficulty, embark, fearless of shipwreck; and turning up their spreading tails to the propitious breeze, are speedily wafted across to the opposite shore.

The STRIPED SQUIRREL is still smaller than the red, and subsists on nuts, fruit, maize and other grain. He can ascend the loftiest trees, and spring from bough to bough with the activity of a bird. It is the custom of the striped squirrel to burrow in the ground; and he is seldom seen during Winter. Animals of this kind are so numerous in every part of Canada, that a single man might easily kill a hundred of them in a few hours.

The FLYING SQUIRREL-Sciurus Americanus Volans-is the smallest and most singular animal of the class of squirrels. The fore and hind legs are connected together, and to the belly, by a duplicature of the skin. By extending this membrane, it is able to leap from tree to tree with great facilty