124 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



peculiar process. Most products of the skin are shed period- 

 ically — for example, the hairy coat of mammals, the outer skin 

 of snakes, the feathers of birds — but some more highly special- 

 ized products, as the teeth of a snake, are shed at long intervals; 

 those of still higher developments, as the rattle of a rattlesnake, 

 the mane of a horse, or the beard of a gobbler, are so "ex- 

 pensive" that nature has economized in ordaining that they 

 never be shed at all. Of this class are also the horns of a 

 rhinoceros and the tuft on the Blacktail's tail. 



The movements of the tail are as characteristic and ex- 

 pressive as its form. In bounding away the Whitetail holds 

 its banner aloft and waves it from side to side. The Mule 

 Blacktail carries its tail drooped and swings its black tuft back 

 and forth over the white disk. Both species drop and quiver 

 the tail when they are struck by the hunter's bullet. 



VOICE, Though rather a silent Deer, this species has a number of 



ETC 



sounds, with variations of each. The one most often heard is 

 the "snort" or "blowing" of curiosity. The next is the 

 whistle, simply a higher pitched and longer snort; this ex- 

 presses alarm. The hunters generally credit the mother Deer 

 with the utterance of a low, soft, murmuring sound, as she 

 comes to the place where the fawn is hidden; a sound intended, 

 no doubt, to let the little one know who it is that comes. And 

 under circumstances of dire extremity, the does at least will 

 utter a bleating like a sheep. Roosevelt credits^ the bucks 

 with uttering a barking challenge during the rutting season. 

 The fawn, as is well known, bleats to call the mother's attention, 

 especially when hungry or lost. 



Another sound that is much used is made by the stamping 

 with the forefoot. I have heard it when it seemed to mean 

 defiance, but usually it means alarm, and spreads news of 

 danger among those farther off. 



MI- The Blacktail is a migratory Deer in most of its range. 



GRANT o ^ o 



Whenever so placed that a journey of loo miles will take it 



' The Deer Family, 1903, p. 48. 



