52 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



spots usually disappear. Now the young are able to forage 

 for themselves. The drain on the mother becomes less, and 

 gradually ceases; and as the pasturage is now rich and abun- 

 dant, all become sleeker and fatter with every week, September 

 finding them in perfect condition. 



WALLOWS In many parts of Colorado and Wyoming during fall I 

 have seen earth wallows made by Wapiti. These are accred- 

 ited to the bull. He is known, indeed, to wallow in them like 

 a hog, whether as an amusement or as an instinctive sanitary 

 measure is not ascertained. 



On September 8, 1898, I was witness of a most in- 

 teresting social function attended by a number of Wapiti. 

 It was at a small upland lake in Jackson's Hole, when, about 

 4 p. M., a band of Elk, nine in all, came trotting from the 

 woods, led by a cow, but with a bull bringing up the rear. 

 They plunged into the water and played there for some time, 

 rolling, wallowing, splashing, and chasing each other. The 

 scene was somewhat like a social bathing at a fashionable 

 watering-place. At last their game was ended by the dis- 

 covery of my presence. 



DANCE But the grand curious amusement of the Elk, one which 



several hunters have witnessed, may be called their ** circle 

 dance." H. W. Skinner, of Chicago, sends me his observa- 

 tions on this performance: 



"About four o'clock one afternoon, late in August, 1890, 1 

 was riding north-east up a small stream flowing into one of the 

 tributaries of the Green River, near its source in north-western 

 Wyoming. The intense heat was relieved only by an occa- 

 sional faint breath of breeze from the north. My attention 

 was attracted by a column of fine dark-brown dust rising 

 ahead of me and on the opposite side of the creek (I was on 

 the south side). The column of dust looked almost as if 

 caused by a whirlwind. On reaching a point as close to it 

 as I could get without crossing the creek — I was perhaps 100 

 yards from it — I found that it was caused by a band of Elk, 

 numbering from twelve to twenty, who seemed to be trotting 



