184 BLACK-TAILED AND MULE DEER. 



BLACK-TAILED DEER (Cervus Columbianus, 

 RichcL). This deer has by far the widest range, 

 and is more numerous than any other species of 

 the smaller deer. It is found on Vancouver 

 Island, on a great many of the islands in the 

 Gulf of Georgia, on the plains of Nesqually, 

 eastern and western slopes of the Cascades, and 

 through the entire district intervening between 

 the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains ; south it 

 extends through Oregon into California. I saw 

 herds of them on the Klamath plains. 



The Sumass Indians had a very ingenious 

 mode of coaxing the male within shot during the 

 hunting season. They make a call or whistle 

 from the hollow stalk of a water-plant, and hiding 

 in the bush imitate the cry of the doe; by this 

 artifice they entice the male to come close to them. 

 Their favourite resort seems to be in the timber, 

 about open plains, prairies, and on high ground, 

 during the summer months, but descend for 

 shelter and protection into the valleys on the 

 approach of winter and snow. Their fawns are 

 dropped in May, two being by no means unusual. 



MULE DEER (Cervus macrotus, Say). I am 

 far from sure as to the existence of this curious 

 deer west of the Cascades, neither do I think it 

 is at all plentiful on the eastern side. The speci- 



