14 MAMMALS OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS 



Order Ungulata. 



Hoofed Animals. 



Family Cervidae. 



Northern Virginia deer. Odocoileus mrginianus'Jbore- 

 alis (Miller). 



Common in the county years past. On Dec. 29, 1739 the 

 town of Newbury chose two persons to prosecute any one 

 killing a buck, doe, or fawn deer contrary to law.* On 

 Feb. 6, 1747 three deer went through Stephen Morse's land 

 and disappeared in Amesbury.t Felt's History of Ipswich 

 of 1834 states that deer were found in Ipswich as late as 

 1790. The period following they became very scarce, if 

 not entirely driven out ; but in the last few years they be- 

 gan to work back into the county until at the present time 

 they are common. Within the past two or three years I 

 have seen a number of them at Ipswich Beach, also at 

 Beverly, Lynn and Topsfield, and they have been reported 

 from all over the county, in some parts doing considerable 

 damage to the farmers 1 crops. In 1912 they were so plen- 

 tiful that there was an open season on them for one week 

 in November. 



Moose. Alee americanus (Clinton). 



I include this animal in the Essex County list on the 

 authority of Coffin's History of Newbury of 1845, p. 203, 

 which says, " On November 25, 1733 a 1 Mosse' 7 feet high 

 was killed in Salisbury." 



*Coffin'8 History of Newbury, 1845, p. 208. 

 tCoffin's History of Newbury, 1845, p. 218. 



