8 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



dark brown head and mane, and the hugely 

 branching antlers, wide spread and reaching far 

 back over his shoulders, seem almost too much 

 for him to carry : so that as he marches along 

 with ponderous tread each step seems to shake 

 the earth. At intervals he throws back his head 

 and utters a wild call, and before its first notes 

 reach the ear you can see the white steam of his 

 breath as it pours forth into the frosty air. His 

 cows feed near to him as he steps along, or if 

 one straggles too far, he moves slowly toward 

 her, and shaking his mighty horns warns her to 

 return. If you fire a shot at one of that band, 

 speedily the old bull will show himself the herder 

 and protector of his family. Rushing about 

 from point to point he will gather up cows and 



calves into a close bunch and will drive them off 

 o\er the hills, threatening the laggards with his 

 horns and using them too with cruel effect if 

 the cows do not hurry. No chivalry this on the 

 part of the old bull — he drives them forward 

 not because he wishes to protect them from death, 

 but because the cows are his, and he does not 

 intend to be robbed of his wives and children." 

 Among the lesser known species of this animal 

 are : the Western JVapiti, which is found in the 

 Far West, and differs from the accepted type by 

 being darker in color ; and the California Wapiti, 

 a very rare animal which is much smaller and 

 paler in color. The Merriam Elk of New Mex- 

 ico and Arizona is also a varying type that has 

 become extremelv rare. 



VIRGINIA DEER 

 Odocoileus americanus (Erxlchen) 



Other Name.^ White-tailed Deer. 



General Description. — .\ fairly large Deer, the male 

 with deciduous antlers, female lacking antlers. Tail 

 long for a Deer, rather bushy and conspicuousK white 

 on the underside. Antlers moderately large and branch- 

 ing, directed forward, no brow tines. Color reddish- 

 brown. 



Dental Formula.— Inc!sors,^=? Canines, ^=° ; Pre- 



3—3 I— I 



molars. ''"^ ; Molars, ^r:^ = 32. 

 3=3 z -i 



Pelage. — .Adults: Color of sexes similar. Summer. 

 Body color reddish-brown, with belly, underside and 

 tip of tail, inside of legs, and throat patch white. 

 Band across nose and ring about eye whitish. Spot 

 on each side of nose blackish. Upper surface of tail 

 dusky. Winter. Body color grayish to grayish-brown. 

 Hair long and somewhat brittle in character, Young ; 

 Reddish-brown or rufous with white spotting, the spots 

 persisting until the fourth or fifth month. 



Measurements. — Length, male, 5 to sVz feet. Tail 

 12 inches. Height at shoulder 3 feet. Female some- 

 wliat smaller. Weight, male. 225 to 300 pounds. 



Range. — From Atlantic seaboard to the Great Plains 

 and from the Gulf to about 43° north. 



Food. — Grasses, leaves of shrubs and trees, mast and 

 aquatic plants. 



Remarks. — The best known of the American Deer. 



.\ number of varieties have been described 

 from the above mainly in minor details. 



k-hich differ 



Related Species 



Virginia Deer, or White-tailed Deer. — Odocoileus 

 americanus americanus (Er.xleben). The typical ani- 

 mal. The middle and eastern United States and 

 Canada. 



Northern Virginia Deer. — Odocoileus americanus 

 borealis Miller. Larger and grayer. Northern part 

 of United States and southern Canada west to Rockies. 



Louisiana White-tailed Deer. — Odocoileus ameri- 

 canus l<'uisiau^.c ((.;. .\L Allen). Pale and with slender 

 skull. Louisiana and Gulf States. 



Plains White-tailed Deer. — Odocoileus americanus 

 macrourus ( Rafinesque ). Pale than the typical form. 

 Upper Mississippi Valley. 



Texas White-tailed Deer. — Odocoileus texanus 

 (^learns). Size small, color pale, legs short. Rio 

 Grande region of Texas. 



Florida White-tailed Deer. — Odocoileus osceola 

 (Bangs). Size of Texas Deer, but much darker. 

 Florida. 



Sonora White-tailed Deer. — Odocoileus couesi 

 ( Coues and Yarrow). Paler and smaller than typical 

 americanus. Weight of adult buck about 80 pounds. 



Douglas White-tailed Deer, or Oregon White- 

 tailed Deer. — Odocoileus leucurus (Douglas). Lacks 

 black markings; has more white. Oregon. 



The Virginia, or \\ hite-tailed Deer, com- 

 monly known among sportsmen as the " White- 

 tail,"' is the most widely distributed game animal 

 of the United States : it was the first kind of 

 Deer killed for food bv the earlv settlers on the 



Atlantic coast ; and the prophecy has been made 

 that '■ it will also be the last of the large hoofed 

 animals of North America to become extinct." 

 Related species range from Canada and New 

 England, as far south as Texas. Thanks to the 



