The hunter who told me this could remember one Sam Nutting， who used to hunt bears on Fair Haven Ledges， and exchange their skins for rum in Concord village； who told him， even， that he had seen a moose there.  Nutting had a famous foxhound named Burgoyne ―― he pronounced it Bugine ―― which my informant used to borrow.  In the "Wast Book" of an old trader of this town， who was also a captain，town-clerk， and representative， I find the following entry.  Jan. 18th， 1742-3， "John Melven Cr. by 1 Grey Fox 0――2――3"； they are not now found here； and in his ledger， Feb， 7th， 1743， Hezekiah Stratton has credit "by 1/2 a Catt skin 0――1――4+"； of course， a wild-cat， for Stratton was a sergeant in the old French war， and would not have got credit for hunting less noble game.  Credit is given for deerskins also， and they were daily sold.  One man still preserves the horns of the last deer that was killed in this vicinity， and another has told me the particulars of the hunt in which his uncle was engaged.  The hunters were formerly a numerous and merry crew here.  I remember well one gaunt Nimrod who would catch up a leaf by the roadside and play a strain on it wilder and more melodious， if my memory serves me， than any hunting-horn.

　　At midnight， when there was a moon， I sometimes met with hounds in my path prowling about the woods， which would skulk out of my way， as if afraid， and stand silent amid the bushes till I had passed.

　　Squirrels and wild mice disputed for my store of nuts.  There were scores of pitch pines around my house， from one to four inches in diameter， which had been gnawed by mice the previous winter ―― a Norwegian winter for them， for the snow lay long and deep， and they were obliged to mix a large proportion of pine bark with their other diet.  These trees were alive and apparently flourishing at midsummer， and many of them had grown a foot， though completely girdled； but after another winter such were without exception dead. It is remarkable that a single mouse should thus be allowed a whole pine tree for its dinner， gnawing round instead of up and down it；but perhaps it is necessary in order to thin these trees， which are wont to grow up densely.

　　The hares （Lepus Americanus） were very familiar.  One had her form under my house all winter， separated from me only by the flooring， and she startled me each morning by her hasty departure when I began to stir ―― thump， thump， thump， striking her head against the floor timbers in her hurry.  They used to come round my door at dusk to nibble the potato parings which I had thrown out，and were so nearly the color of the ground that they could hardly be distinguished when still.  Sometimes in the twilight I alternately lost and recovered sight of one sitting motionless under my window. When I opened my door in the evening， off they would go with a squeak and a bounce.  Near at hand they only excited my pity.  One evening one sat by my door two paces from me， at first trembling with fear， yet unwilling to move； a poor wee thing， lean and bony，with ragged ears and sharp nose， scant tail and slender paws.  It looked as if Nature no longer contained the breed of nobler bloods，but stood on her last toes.  Its large eyes appeared young and unhealthy， almost dropsical.  I took a step， and lo， away it scud with an elastic spring over the snow-crust， straightening its body and its limbs into graceful length， and soon put the forest between me and itself ―― the wild free venison， asserting its vigor and the dignity of Nature.  Not without reason was its slenderness.  Such then was its nature.  （Lepus， levipes， light-foot， some think.）

　　What is a country without rabbits and partridges？  They are among the most simple and indigenous animal products； ancient and venerable families known to antiquity as to modern times； of the very hue and substance of Nature， nearest allied to leaves and to the ground ―― and to one another； it is either winged or it is legged.  It is hardly as if you had seen a wild creature when a rabbit or a partridge bursts away， only a natural one， as much to be expected as rustling leaves.  The partridge and the rabbit are still sure to thrive， like true natives of the soil， whatever revolutions occur.  If the forest is cut off， the sprouts and bushes which spring up afford them concealment， and they become more numerous than ever.  That must be a poor country indeed that does not support a hare.  Our woods teem with them both， and around every swamp may be seen the partridge or rabbit walk， beset with twiggy fences and horse-hair snares， which some cow-boy tends.

　　把這話告訴我的獵者還能記得一個名叫山姆。納丁的人，他常常在美港的巖層上獵熊，然后把熊皮拿口來，到康科德的村子里換朗姆酒喝；那個人曾經告訴他，他甚至于看見過一只糜鹿。納丁有一只著名的獵狐犬，名叫布爾戈因，――他卻把它念作布經，――告訴我這段話的人常常向他借用這條狗。這個鄉鎮中，有一個老年的生意人，他又是隊長，市鎮會計，兼代表，我在他的“日記賬簿”中，看到了這樣的記錄。一七四二――三年，一月十八日，“約翰，梅爾文，貸方，一只灰色的狐貍，零元二角三分”；現在這里卻沒有這種事了，在他的總賬中，一七四三年，二月七日，赫齊吉阿。斯特拉登貸款“半張貓皮，零元一角四分半”；這當然是山貓皮，因為從前法蘭西之戰的時候，斯特拉登做過軍曹，當然不會拿比山貓還不如的東西來貸款的。當時也有以鹿皮來換取貸款的；每天都有鹿皮賣出。有一個人還保存著附近這一帶最后殺死的一只鹿的鹿角，另外一個人還告訴過我，他的伯父參加過的一次狩獵的情形。從前這里的獵戶人數既多，而且都很愉快。我還記得一個消瘦的寧呢，他隨手在路邊抓到一張葉子，就能在上面吹奏出一個旋律來，如果我沒記錯的話，似乎比任何獵號聲都更野，更動聽。

　　在有月亮的午夜，有時候我路上碰到了許多的獵犬，它們奔竄在樹林中，從我面前的路上躲開，好像很怕我而靜靜地站在灌木叢中，直到我走過了再出來。

　　松鼠和野鼠為了我儲藏的堅果而爭吵開了。在我的屋子四周有二三十棵蒼松，直徑一英寸到四英寸，前一個冬天給老鼠啃過，――對它們來說，那是一個挪威式的冬天，雪長久地積著，積得太深了，它們不得不動用松樹皮來補救它們的糧食短細。這些樹還是活了下來，在夏天里顯然還很茂郁，雖然它們的樹皮全都給環切了一匝，卻有許多樹長高了一英尺；可是又過了一個冬天，它們無例外的全都死去了。奇怪得很，小小的老鼠竟然被允許吃下整個一株樹，它們不是上上下下，而是環繞著它來吃的；可是，要使這森林稀疏起來，這也許還是必要的，它們常常長得太濃密了。

　　野兔子（學名Lepus Americanus）是很常見的，整個冬天，它的身體常活動在我的屋子下面，只有地板隔開了我們，每天早晨，當我開始動彈的時候，它便急促地逃開，驚醒我，――砰，砰，砰，它在匆忙之中，腦袋撞在地板上了。黃昏中，它們常常繞到我的門口來，吃我扔掉的土豆皮，它們和土地的顏色是這樣的相似，當靜著不動的時候，你幾乎辨別不出來。有時在黃昏中，我一忽兒看不見了，一忽兒又看見了那一動不動呆坐在我窗下的野兔子。黃昏時要是我推開了門，它們吱吱地叫，一躍而去。靠近了看它們，只有叫我可憐。有一個晚上，有一只坐在我門口，離我只有兩步；起先伯得發抖，可是還不肯跑開，可憐的小東西，瘦得骨頭都突出來了，破耳朵，尖鼻子，光尾巴，細腳爪。看起來，仿佛大自然已經沒有比它更高貴的品種，只存這樣的小東西了。它的大眼睛顯得很年輕，可是不健康，幾乎像生了水腫病似的。我路上一步，瞧，它彈力很足地一躍而起，奔過了雪地，溫文爾雅地伸直了它的身子和四肢，立刻把森林搬到我和它的中間來了，――這野性的自由的肌肉卻又說明了大自然的精力和尊嚴。

　　它的消瘦并不是沒有理由的。這便是它的天性。（它的學名Lepus，來自Levipes，足力矯健，有人這樣想。）

　　要沒有兔子和鷓鴣，一個田野還成什么田野呢？它們是最簡單的土生士長的動物；古時候，跟現在一樣，就有了這類古老而可敬的動物；與大自然同色彩，同性質，和樹葉，和土地是最親密的聯盟，――彼此之間也是聯盟；既不是靠翅膀的飛禽，又不是靠腳的走獸。看到兔子和鷓鴣跑掉的時候，你不覺得它們是禽獸，它們是大自然的一部分，仿佛諷諷的木葉一樣。不管發生怎么樣的革命，兔子和鷓鴣一定可以永存，像土生士長的人一樣。如果森林被砍伐了，矮枝和嫩葉還可以藏起它們，它們還會更加繁殖呢。不能維持一只兔子的生活的田野一定是貧瘠無比的。我們的森林對于它們兩者都很適宜，在每一個沼澤的周圍可以看到兔子和鷓鴣在步行，而牧童們在它們周圍布置了細枝的籬笆和馬鬃的陷阱。

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