RUMINANTIA. CERVID^. 77 



it is quite doubtful whether it could be made profitable to man in 

 the present state of societj. If it could be suffered to exist in 

 those parts of the country which are so sterile and cold that they 

 cannot be cultivated with much profit, it is all that could be ex- 

 pected or wished for. Its meat is certainly delicious, partaking 

 more of the nature of beef than of venison, and its flavor, in the 

 males, would probably be improved by emasculation, which would 

 render it also more susceptible of accumulating fat. For its pres- 

 ervation, however, it is difficult to enforce laws ; so that there is 

 very little probability of saving the species from a total extirpation. 

 So far as game and hunting are concerned, the sooner our wild 

 animals are extinct the better, for they serve to support a few in- 

 dividuals just on the borders of a savage state, whose labors in 

 the family of man are more injurious than beneficial. It is not, 

 therefore, so much to be regretted that our larger animals of the 

 chase have disappeared. What comforts their fur and their skins 

 have provided, can be abundantly supplied by animals already do- 

 mesticated, at far less expense, both of time and money, and are 

 not subject to that drawback, the deterioration of niorals. 



The young in October are fine-flavored, and, as we should ex- 

 pect, their meat partakes of the qualities of veal. An individual 

 at this time gave the following measurements ; 



ft. in. t'ths. 



Length from the nose to the insertion of the tail, . . 5 8 



Ear, measured behind, 7 6 



Height, 3 10 



The color, at this period, is a dark, rusty brown, quite uniform 

 on the upper parts, and lighter on the legs. They continue in 

 company with the mo'ther, if undisturbed, the two first years. In the 

 autumn, it is not uncommon to meet with from three to five indi- 

 viduals of different ages. The young, when only a few days old, 

 is perfectly manageable, and will as readily follow its captor as its 

 mother, provided she has been killed ; it becomes, therefore, at 

 this age, perfectly domesticated at once, and drinks milk, or feeds 

 from the hand, with very little instruction. It soon learns to dis- 

 tinguish the inmates of the family, by whom it may be handled 

 with perfect safety, but it is quite suspicious of strangers, and is 

 very apt to give a severe blow with its knees, or fore feet. 



