Sometimes The Oyster Shuts, And Holds Fast Their Paw
Till The Tide Comes In, That They Are Drown'd, Tho' They
Swim very well.
The way that this Animal catches Crabs, which he greatly admires,
and which are plenty in Carolina,
Is worthy of Remark.
When he intends to make a Prey of these Fish, he goes to a Marsh,
where standing on the Land, he lets his Tail hang in the Water.
This the Crab takes for a Bait, and fastens his Claws therein,
which as soon as the Raccoon perceives, he, of a sudden, springs forward,
a considerable way, on the Land, and brings the Crab along with him.
As soon as the Fish finds himself out of his Element, he presently
lets go his hold; and then the Raccoon encounters him, by getting him
cross-wise in his Mouth, and devours him. There is a sort of small Land-Crab,
which we call a Fiddler, that runs into a Hole when any thing pursues him.
This Crab the Raccoon takes by putting his Fore-Foot in the Hole,
and pulling him out. With a tame Raccoon, this Sport is very diverting.
The Chief of his other Food is all sorts of wild Fruits, green Corn,
and such as the Bear delights in. This and the Possum
are much of a Bigness. The Fur makes good Hats and Linings.
The Skin dress'd makes fine Womens Shooes.
{Minx.}
The Minx is an Animal much like the English Fillimart or Polcat.
He is long, slender, and every way shap'd like him. His Haunts are chiefly
in the Marshes, by the Sea-side and Salt-Waters, where he lives on Fish, Fowl,
Mice, and Insects. They are bold Thieves, and will steal any thing from you
in the Night, when asleep, as I can tell by Experience; for one Winter,
by Misfortune, I ran my Vessel a-ground, and went often to the Banks,
to kill wild Fowl, which we did a great many. One Night, we had a mind
to sleep on the Banks (the Weather being fair) and wrapt up the Geese
which we had kill'd, and not eaten, very carefully, in the Sail of a Canoe,
and folded it several Doubles, and for their better Security,
laid 'em all Night under my Head. In the Morning when I wak'd,
a Minx had eaten thro' every Fold of the Canoe's Sail,
and thro' one of the Geese, most part of which was gone.
These are likewise found high up in the Rivers, in whose sides they live;
which is known by the abundance of Fresh-Water Muscle-Shells
(such as you have in England) that lie at the Mouth of their Holes.
This is an Enemy to the Tortois, whose Holes in the Sand,
where they hide their Eggs, the Minx finds out, and scratches up and eats.
The Raccoons and Crows do the same. The Minx may be made domestick,
and were it not for his paying a Visit now and then to the Poultry,
they are the greatest Destroyers of Rats and Mice, that are in the World.
Their Skins, if good of that kind, are valuable, provided they are kill'd
in Season.
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