Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/80

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70
NOTES ON VIRGINIA.

ry. In this fact Pennant concurs with him. [Barrington's Miſcellanies.] The ſame Kalm tells us[1] that the black mooſe,or renne of America is as high as a tall horſe; and Cateſby,[2] that it is about the bigneſs of a middle-ſized ox. The ſame account of their ſize has been given me by many who have ſeen them. But Mons. D'Aubenton ſays[3] that the renne of Europe is but about the ſize of a red deer. The weaſel is larger in America than in Europe, as may be ſeen by comparing its dimensions as reported by Mons. D'Aubenton[4] and Kalm. The latter tells us,[5] that the lynx, badger, red fox, and flying ſquirrel, are the ſame in America as in Europe: by which expreſſion I underſtand, they are the ſame in all material circumſtances, in ſize as well as others: for if they were ſmaller, they would differ from the European. Our grey fox is, by Cateſby's account,[6] little different in ſize and ſhape from the European fox. I preſume he means the red fox of Europe, as does Kalm, where he ſays,[7] that in ſize ‘they do not quite come up to our foxes.’ For proceeding next to the red fox of America, he ſays ‘they are entirely the fame with the European ſort:’ which ſhows he had in view one European ſort only, which was the red. So that the reſult of their teſtimony is, that the American grey fox is ſomewhat leſs than the European red; which is equally true of the grey fox of Europe, as may be ſeen by comparing the meaſures of the Count de Buffon and Mons. D'Aubenton.[8] The white bear of America is as



  1. Ib. 233.
  2. I. xxvii.
  3. XXIV. 162.
  4. XV. 42.
  5. I. 359. I. 48. 221. 251. II. 52.
  6. II. 78.
  7. I. 220.
  8. XXVII. 63. XIV. 119. Harris, II. 387. Buffon. Quad. IX. 1.