264 



FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM ZOOLOGY, VOL. i. 



I have never seen in the eastern wapiti, and when in this 

 pelage the Olympic animal could be always readily recognizable. 

 It is to be expected that all the animals inhabiting a country sub- 

 jected to such an annual rainfall as is Northwest Washington, 

 would be very dark in appearance, and this is almost universally 

 the case, all colors being intensified, and it is not surprising that 

 the wapiti should prove to be no exception to the rule, but 

 assumes at certain seasons a partly black pelage! This color- 

 ing is practically the only character there is by which the wapiti 

 of the Olympics and Rocky Mountains can be separated, and 

 when it is absent the animals are indistinguishable from each 

 other. 



Five specimens: Headwaters Bogashiel River. 



Widest palmation of last antlers, 

 trez tines on left beam. 



in. (No. 4) at base of 



18. Odocoileus herminous (Rafin). 



Cervus herminous. Rafin. Amer. Month. Mag., i, 1817, p. 436. 



The true Black-tail deer was the only species represented in 

 the mountains. Although signs were seen every day, the animals 

 themselves did not appear to be very plentiful, considering the 

 amount of ground we passed over, and even during the rut- 

 ting season in September and October the bucks were not often 

 seen. The summer coat of this deer is of quite a different color 

 from any eastern species, being of a more fiery hue, and looks 

 very handsome when seen in the thickets, which, however, is not 

 often, for in spite of the brilliancy of its coat the animal is 

 not readily observed, red and green being complementary colors 

 assimilate and prevent the bright one from becoming too con- 

 spicuous. The Black-tail has all the action of the Virginian deer, 

 and never jumps with the rubber-ball motion of the Mule deer, 



