22 MAMMALS OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS 



The City of Beverly was I believe, named from the Town 

 of M Beverly," England (near Hull) and means the Leigh of 

 the Beaver, Leigh meaning a Marsh or Bog or in other 

 words " Beaver Leigh" (modified to " Beverly") meaning a 

 Beaver Marsh or Bog. 



Family Muridae. 



Common house mouse. Mus musculus Linne. 



An introduced species, very common in buildings and 

 sometimes in fields. As nearly every one is familiar with 

 this little pest a description is unnecessary. 



Norway rat ; Brown rat ; Wharf rat. Epimys nor- 

 vegicus Erxleben. 



Color dark grayish brown. They sometimes grow to a 

 very large size and become dangerous if cornered. The 

 young are much darker, sometimes nearly black. An in- 

 troduced species, very common around barns and in the 

 neighborhood of wharves, beaches, and freight yards. 



Black rat. Epimys rattus (Linne). 



Introduced. Uncommon about houses and barns in the 

 country. 



Eastern white footed mouse ; Deer mouse ; 

 Wood mouse. Peromyscas leucopus noveboracensis. 

 (Fischer). 



This interesting little mouse is very common throughout 

 the county. It is the most beautiful of all our mice, es- 

 pecially in its winter coat when their fur is bright fawn 

 color above and pure white beneath, the white of the un- 

 der side reaching well up on the shoulders, and the line 

 of separation being straight and clean cut. The young are 

 light slaty gray in color, and I have taken full grown spec- 

 imens varying from light gray to bright reddish fawn color 

 at the same season of the year. They have wonderfully 

 large, bright eyes, which grow much larger if the animal 

 is frightened. I once drove one out of its nest onto a 



