. Travels into North America : containing its natural history, and a circumstantial account of its plantations and agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, the manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various subjects . their note is pretty agreeable. As they arefo deftruclive to maize, the odium of theinhabitants againft them is carried fo far,that the laws of Penfylvania and New jer-fey have fettled a premium of three-pence adozen for dead maize-thieves. In NewEngland, the people are flill greater enemiesto th
. Travels into North America : containing its natural history, and a circumstantial account of its plantations and agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, the manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various subjects . their note is pretty agreeable. As they arefo deftruclive to maize, the odium of theinhabitants againft them is carried fo far,that the laws of Penfylvania and New jer-fey have fettled a premium of three-pence adozen for dead maize-thieves. In NewEngland, the people are flill greater enemiesto them ; for Dr. Franklin told me, in thefpring of the year 1750, that, by means ofthe premiums which have been fettled forkilling them in New England, they havebeen fo extirpated, that they are very rarely(ten, and in a few places only. But as, inthe fummer of the year 1749, an immenfequantity of worms appeared on the mea-dows, which devoured the grafs, and didgreat damage, the people have abated theirenmity againft the maize-thieves; for theythought they had obfcrved, that thofe birdslived chiefly on thefe worms before themaize is ripe, and confequently extirpatedthem, or at leafl prevented their fpreadingtoo much. They feem therefore to be en-titled, as it were, to a reward for their trou-ble ,. New Jerfey, Raccoon. 79 ble. But after thefe enemies and deftroyersof the worms (the maize-thieves) were ex-tirpated, the worms were more at libertyto multiply; and therefore they grew fonumerous, that they did more mifchief nowthan the birds did before. In the fummer1749, the worms left fo little hay in NewEngland, that the inhabitants were forced toget hay from Penfyhania, and even fromOld England. The maize -thieves have ene-mies befides the human fpecies. A fpeciesof little hawks live-upon them, and uoonother little birds. I faw fome of thefe hawksdriving up the maize-thieves, which werein the greateft fecurity, and catching themin the air. Nobody eats thefleih of the pur-ple maize-t
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