286 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



western part of Massachusetts and in the Plymouth region of 

 the eastern section gradually built up a small population, 

 which overflowed into the surrounding regions and, helped by 

 a few introductions, began at length to attract notice. Under 

 protective laws the numbers have increased so greatly that by 

 1910 Massachusetts declared an open season of six days late 

 in November. Since then there has been an annual open sea- 

 son with few exceptions, and of about the same length. The 

 number killed each year has varied from as low as 832 to over 

 2,000 (in 1924). There seems no reason to believe that with 

 proper regulation the deer may not continue to be a game 

 animal not only in Massachusetts but also in the other New 

 England States where a somewhat similar increase also took 

 place, in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont (in the 

 last-named as a result in part of introduction). A similar wise 

 administration has brought about a like result in Pennsylvania, 

 where in early days it abounded, but by the end of the last 

 century, Rhoads (1903) said, it had become "sparsely scattered 

 or locally exterminated" though most often found in the 

 Pocono and South Mountain regions. At the present time, 

 the estimate published (in 1939) by the U. S. Biological Survey, 

 places the white-tailed deei population of Pennsylvania at 

 793,000 ! The success of these eastern States in the replenish- 

 ment of their forest covers with deer, and the asset which this 

 game may be to the commonwealths, should prove an example 

 to other States, in which the deer have been greatly depleted, 

 to encourage an attempt at restocking. 



FLORIDA DEER 

 ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS OSCEOLA (Bangs) 



Cariacus osceola Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 10, p. 26, Feb. 25, 1896 



(" Citronelle, Citrus County, Florida"). 

 SYNONYM: Odocoileus virginianus mcilhennyi F. W. Miller, Journ. Mamm., vol. 9, p. 



57, Feb. 9, 1928 ("Near Avery Island, Louisiana"). 

 FIGS.: Barbour and Allen, 1922, pi. 5, figs. 5-7 (antlered skulls). 



In the southern part of the Florida Peninsula, and extending 

 up on the western side and along the Gulf coast to Louisiana, 

 the representative of the Virginia deer is a small animal, with 

 notably smaller antlers than the typical race. Although the 

 type locality is in the intergrading area of the two races, the 

 name may for the present be retained. Of these small Florida 



