Dear Harris-Hunters I hope as you plow through records of various counties of Virginia [you do, don't you?], you will add to the knowledge of us Harris-Hunters. Harris has got to be one of the most common surnames in early American history. Here is one early American Harris, in case you have ancestors in Northern Neck Virginia, colonial days, that is. This is from Essex County Court 10th of November 1692 To Tho. Harris one wolfes head by Pitt (Source: Ruth & Sam Sparacio, Record Abstracts of Essex County, Virginia 1692-1693 [McLean, VA: The Antient Press, p. 27) (For those of you unfamiliar with rural counties--the court paid a bounty for *varmints* which killed livestock--and at times people. In California, where we are having droughts, coyotes and in some cases, bears are coming into city areas. A bear recently killed a dog and bloodied another dog in the same yard. The owner saw the bear heading for the hills. He had earlier had strange barking from his dogs. I do not know the meaning of *Pitt* in this instance. Anyone?) E.W.Wallace **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel. Check out Today's Hot 5 Travel Deals! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212416248x1200771803/aol?redir=http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001)