2l8 MAMMALS' OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 



ments, such as Burlington and Salem, offered opportunities for stock raising. 

 West Jersey early experienced conflicting rights to herbage and to animals, 

 and commonage was claimed by the original emigrants, and indeed for sev- 

 eral generations thereafter all domesticated animals were allowed, to run at 

 large, and so great did the nuisance become that the Assembly as early as 

 1683 was compelled to restrain the running at large of hogs not only as a 

 protection to marshes and meadows, but to prevent the establishment of a 

 custom which would lead to domesticated animals reverting to their wild 

 state. The act of 1683 was found insufficient, as the hogs were thereafter 

 allowed to " damnify and greatly injure ye meadows," English grass, fences 

 and the like. To restrain which practice the Legislature in 1695 passed a 

 " local option " hog act, relegating the entire matter to local supervision. In 

 this connection it is interesting to note that the owners of " stone horses " or 

 stallions were restrained by the act of 1683 from allowing their animals to 

 range in the woods. To come within the act, the beast had to be three 

 years old and under fourteen hands in height. The penalty for violation of 

 this law was ;^5. In 1730 an act was passed to restrain small staUions from 

 running at large between March and October, inasmuch as these animals 

 were "very hurtful to the Breed of Horses in His Majesty's Province oi New 

 y^ersey." In 1 75 1 one of the last acts of the Colonial legislature was that 

 preventing rams from running at large from August 20 to December 20, and 

 bears many points in common with the act to restrain young stallions. The 

 act is dated December 6, 1775. 



House Mouse. Mus musculus Linnaeus. 



Norway or Barn Rat. Mus norvegicus Erxleben. 



Black Rat. Mus rattus Linnaeus. 



The first two of these European immigrants to America need no comment, 

 for they now abound throughout our continent. Pa. and N. J. being no excep- 

 tion to this rule. The black or blue rat, however, once common, and the 

 first to appear on our shores with the earliest colonists, is said by many to be 

 exterminated in the United States. Mr. Miller reports it as found in central 

 Massachusetts but knows of no other place in the northeastern states where 

 it is numerous. By careful inquiry I find it is quite numerous locally in parts 

 of northern Pa. Some of these reports are herewith given. 



Pa.— Bradford Co. — " Plentiful on farms away from railroad lines in Brad- 

 ford Co." — Cleveland, 1900. 



Cambria Co. — "Numerous in 1899 on .farm of Jacob Kauffmann 7 miles 

 from Johnstown. I killed 6 with a pocket rifle. They are also found on 

 Henry Otts' farm, 15 miles south of Johnstown." — Shields, 1900. 



