116 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



Five races of this species are recognized : 



hemionus Raf., the typical form. 



californicus Caton, with a dark stripe from the back 



along upper surface of tail. 

 peninsuloe Lyddeker, very small and brightly 



coloured. 

 eremicus Mearns, very pale. 

 canus Merriam, very small, pale, and gray. 



From the Coast B\3.ckX2W{0 . columhianus)t]\t Mule Black- 

 tail may be distinguished 

 at once by the tail, which 

 in columbianus is tapering 

 from the base, and all above 

 black, all below white ; and by 

 the metatarsal gland, which 

 is about 3 inches long on 

 the Coast Deer and about 5 

 inches on the Mule-deer. 



Similarly, from the Vir- 

 ginian Deer or Whitetail it 

 may be distinguished by the 

 style of tail (which see) and 

 the metatarsal gland, which 

 in the Whitetail is about i 

 inch long (Fig. 15). 

 HISTORY Spaniard and Frenchman saw the Mule-deer long before 



any of the English race, but it was not described and named 

 on paper till Lewis and Clark, in 1804, went up the Missouri 

 on their famous journey. September 17 of that year, when 

 on the Missouri below Sioux River, they wrote:* 



"Among our acquisitions to-day were a Mule-deer, etc. 

 * * * Captain Lewis and some men went out to hunt and 

 killed * * * two Blacktailed Deer. * * * The Blacktailed or 

 Mule-deer have much larger ears than the common Deer, and 



* Lewis and Clark, Coues edition, 1893, Vol. i, p. 121. 



Jjm^ 



Fig. 37 — Typical Tails. 



1. Whitetail. 



2. Mule-deer. 



3. Coast Blacktall. 



