and expedition; and often hangs from a branch by its tail, which is strong and muscular, for hours together, with the head downwards, watching for its prey. If any lesser animal, which it is able to overcome, passes underneath, it drops upon it with a deadly aim, and quickly devours it. This creature lives upon vegetable, as well as animal substances; such as roots, sugar-canes, the bark, and even the leaves of trees.

The Racoon is an animal of a genus different.from any known on the old continent. Its head is much like a fox's, only its ears are shorter, more round, and more naked. It also resembles that animal in its hair, which is thick, long, and soft; and in its body and legs, excepting that the former is larger, and the latter both larger and shorter. Across its face runs a broad stripe, including its eyes, which are large. Its snout is black, and roundish at the end, like that of a dog, and its teeth, both in number and shape, are similar to those of the dog; the tail is long and round, with annular stripes on it; the fore feet are much shorter than the hinder, both armed with five sharp claws, with which, and its teeth, the animal makes a vigorous resistance. Its fore feet serve it instead of hands, like those of the monkey. The racoon is so peculiarly destructive among the sugar-canes, that the planters consider these creatures as one of their greatest miseries. But though when wild they are thus troublesome, in a state of tameness, they are perfectly harmless and amusing; and are capable of being instructed in many little diverting tricks. Their fur is used by the hatters, and considered as next in value to the beaver; it is used also in linings for garments, The skins, when properly dressed, make good gloves, and uppers for shoes. The negroes eat the flesh of the racoon, which they consider a great delicacy.

Upwards of 130 American birds have been enumerated; which in general greatly exceed those of Europe in the beauty of their plumage, but are much inferior in the melody of their notes. The following only are deserving of particular notice :—

The Water Pelican inhabits the Mississippi, and is of such an amazing size that its pouch contains upwards of eight quarts. This extraordinary bird is a native of America, and is also found in Africa; it was once known in Europe, particularly in Russia, but it seems to have deserted our coasts. Of this bird many fabulous accounts have been propagated; such as its feeding its young with its own blood, and carrying a provision of water for them in its great reservoir to the desert. But the absurdity of

NO. III.

H

the above account refutes itself; and as for the latter, the pelican uses its bag for very different purposes than that of filling it with water. She feeds her offspring with fish macerated for some time in her pouch, and when they cry, flies off for a fresh supply.

The Partridge.-In several parts of the United States there are three or four different kinds of partridges, all of them larger than the partridges of Europe.-What is called the quail in New England, is denominated partridge in the southern states, where the real partridge is not to be found.

The Whip-poor-will is remarkable for the plaintive melody of its notes. It acquires its name from the peculiar noise it makes, which to the people of America sound whip-poor-will; to the Indians muck-a-wiss. This is a striking proof how differently the same sounds impress different persons!

The Loon is a water fowl of the same species with the Dobchick. It is an exceeding nimble bird, and so expert at diving, that it is with great difficulty killed.

The Wakon-bird, which probably is of the same species with the Bird of Paradise, receives its name from the ideas the Indians have of its superior excellence; the Wakon-bird being, in their language, the bird of the Great Spirit. It is nearly the size of the swallow, of a brown colour, shaded about the neck with a bright green. The wings are of a darker brown than the body, and its tail is composed of four or five feathers, which are three times as long as its body, and which are beautifully shaded with green and purple. It carries this fine length of plumage in the same manner as the peacock does his, but it is not known whether like him it ever raises it to an erect position.

The Humming-bird is the smallest of all the feathered inhabitants of the air; but its beautiful plumage surpasses description. Of this charming little creature there are six or seven varieties, from the size of a small wren, down to that of an humble bee. An inhabitant of Europe could never have supposed a bird existing so very small, and yet completely furnished with a bill, feathers, wings, and intestines, exactly resembling those of the largest kind. A bird not so large as the end of one's little finger, would probably be thought but a creature of imagination, were it not seen in infinite numbers, and as frequent as butterflies in a summer's day, sporting in the fields of America, from flower to flower, and extracting their sweets with its diminutive bill. The smallest humming-bird is about the

size of a hazle-nut; on its head is a small tuft of jetty black; its breast is red; its belly white; its back, wings, and tail, the finest pale green: small specks of gold are scattered over it with inexpressible grace; and to crown the whole, an almost imperceptible down softens the several colours, and produces the most pleasing shades, which no silk or velvet can imitate. These birds in America continue to flutter the year round; as their food, which is the honey of flowers, never forsakes them in those warm latitudes were they are found.

There are about thirty species of snakes which infest the United States; of these there are not more than five kinds that are really venomous. The rattle-snake, the copperheaded snake, the thorn-tail snake, the black viper, and the adder, are the most dangerous. The snakes are neither so numerous nor so venomous in the northern as in the southern states. In the latter, however, the inhabitants are furnished with a much greater variety of plants and herbs, which afford immediate relief to persons bitten by these dangerous creatures. It should call forth the gratitude of mankind to know, that in every country infested by noxious reptiles, the Almighty has provided abundant remedies to counteract the effects of their poisonous bite.

There is an immense variety of insects in the United States, of which the musqueto is extremely troublesome, and even dangerous to strangers; but less so to the inhabitants of the country.

The Alligator is one of the most formidable animals found in America. It is evidently a species of the crocodile, and in appearance the ugliest creature in existence. They are amphibious, and live in and near to creeks, swamps, and ponds of stagnant water, devouring vast quantities of fish. When tired with fishing, they leave the water to bask themselves in the sun, and then appear like logs of wood; but on being disturbed in the slightest manner, they instantly take to the water. Some of them grow to the enormous size of five yards in length. Guana, the Green Lizard of Carolina, the Blue-tailed Lizard, and the Lion Lizard, are found in the southern states, and are thought to be species of the same genus with the crocodile and alligator.

The

Population, manners, customs, &c.-The number of inhabitants in the United States, by the last general census, in 1810, has been already given in the statistical table and noticed in page 17. The present population, 1818, is calculated by every late writer on the subject to exceed aine millions; nor will this calculation appear at all ex

aggerated when it is considered, that by natural increase and emigrations from Europe, the population has been more than doubled within twenty-two years; as will be seen by the following returns made at three distinct periods: In the year 1790 the amount of the census was 3,929,326; in 1800 it had increased to 5,308,844; and in 1810 the return was 7,239,903; being an augmentation of nearly 2,000,000 in ten years. The next general census will take place in 1820, when, from the prodigious influx of emigrants during the last two years, and which still continues, the probability is, that the number of inhabitants will be considerably above 10,000,000.

The United States as now existing, constitute a republic, consisting of twenty separate, independent states, besides five territorial governments; having governors, constitutions, and laws of their own, united under a general, federal constitution of government, administered by an elective head, and by a proportionate number of representatives of the people from all the states. The spectacle presented by this republic during the last thirty or forty years ever since her emancipation, began to produce its full effect, and since she fairly entered the lists as an independent nation, with a completely popular government, has been, beyond every thing formerly known in the history of mankind, imposing and instructive. By the prodigious rapidity with which that marvellous community is advancing in every direction, particularly in the western states and territories, we at once behold in what manner the settled parts of America are increasing with unparalleled celerity; and how new and extensive communities are daily created in the plains and forests of the west, by the superfluous population of the eastern states, and by an astonishing and daily increasing influx of adventurers from Europe. But the following statement of an authenticated fact, to which might be added many others of a similar description, will best illustrate this position:-Upon a spot of ground above 200 miles up the river Missouri, and more than 1,500 miles from the sea, which in August, 1816, was occupied as a corn field, now stands, delightfully situated, the thriving town of Franklin, which in June, 1818, contained nearly 200 houses, and is still rapidly increasing.

The northern parts of the United States, New England in particular, are become the source of an emigration be yond all comparison more extensive than ever was known in the most confined and over-peopled portions of the old world. A broad, deep, and rapid stream of population is running constantly into the western country; and vast states are

forming towards the Pacific ocean, the growth of which as much exceeds in rapidity what we have been accustomed to observe on the shores of the Atlantic, as this leaves at an immeasurable distance the scarcely perceptable progress of European societies. This powerful migration from east to west is powerfully incited by the vast quantity of fine lands with which the latter region abounds; and has a strong tendency to bind these two sections together by the indissoluble ties of kindred affection. The manufacturing industry of the north is aided and encouraged by the surplus raw materials, and demand for manufactures, in the south; and both feeling the advantage of the exchange, are bound to each other by the strong bond of mutual interest.

Learning is every where encouraged throughout the Union, and ample provision made for the support of schools and colleges. Seminaries of the latter description have been long established in all the eastern and middle states, and of late the states of North and South Carolina and Georgia have followed the laudable example. In the new states of the western country the utmost attention has been paid to literature, and liberal funds with large tracts of land appropriated to the maintenance of schools and academies.

Religion, in the United States, is placed on the broad and firm basis of its intrinsic excellence; and is left to be supported by its own evidence, by the lives of its professors, and by the almighty care of its Divine Author. The following denominations of Christians are more or less numerous, viz. Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Dutch Reformists, Baptists, Quakers, German Lutherans, German Calvinists, Moravians, Mennonists, Universalists, Shakers, Tunkers, and Methodists. There are a few Jews; and a great number who reject revealed religion altogether as unne cessary, inconvenient, and fabulous, and plead the sufficiency of natural religion. Of this description are many of the principal inhabitants throughout the Union, and particularly to the southward. In the New England states the presbyterians and independents are the principal sects, but in Connecticut the form of worship and ecclesiastical government of the church of England prevail. More to the south, and especially in Pennsylvania, the quakers are extremely numerous, and highly respectable; being distinguished, as in every other country, for the excellence of their morals and universal benevolence; particularly in promoting peace, discouraging war, aiding