( ARIACUS VIR<; IMAM'S. I 13 



congregate and remain in one locality till the food supply in the im- 

 mediate vicinity is exhausted, when they move off to some other 

 place. By working to and fro in search of browse the snow becomes 

 much trampled, and pathways are beaten in various directions. 

 These places are called yards, but they fall far short of the regular 

 enclosures, walled in by deep snow, that we so often read about, and 

 even see pictured under this head. They afford the much persecuted 

 animals no shelter or protection, for if discovered by either the pan- 

 ther or the infamous " crust hunter, the}' become grave-yards for 

 many. Mr. Yerplanck Colvin, speaking of one he found on the south 

 side of Seventh Lake Mountain, February i5, 1877, said: " It was 

 impossible to estimate the number ot Deer which had occupied this 

 yard, as they had fled at our approach, plunging into the deep snow 

 below. The ground of this central area resembled a sheep yard in 

 winter, the forms of the Deer being plainly discernible in the beds of 

 snow, in which the}' had slept, on every side. 



" Here we were startled by the sight of the fresh tracks ot a 

 panther or cougar, which evidently made his home in this abode of 

 plenty; and shortly thereafter we found the body of a Deer freshly 

 killed, and shockingly torn and mutilated. The guides were now all 

 excitement, and followed the cougar's trail eagerly. In less than 

 thirty minutes a shout announced that he had been encountered, and 

 rushing forward to the southern tront ot the plateau I came upon 

 the monstrous creature, coolly defiant, standing at the brow of a 

 precipice on some dead timber, little more than twenty feet from 

 where I stood. Quickly loading the rifle, I sent a bullet through 

 his brain, and as the smoke lifted, saw him struggling in the fearful 

 convulsions of death, till finally precipitated over the cliffs he disap- 

 peared from sight in the depths below." 



It is stated by several writers that the Deer delights in destroying 

 snakes. Dr. Harlan thus speaks of this proclivity :- 



Report of Adirondack Survey, iSSo, pp. 159-160. 



