HOBNS, PRONGS, AND ANTLERS 305 



the shaded brown body round, shapely, and set firmly 

 on the legs. The bull Elk stands five feet at the 

 shoulders and often grows to weigh half a ton, though 

 the females are far lighter. The Elk has a thick skin 

 and heavy winter under-coat of fur. His flesh yields 

 fine, rich, satisfying meat, and his tallow is prized in 

 wood cookery. But when we praise his personal beauty, 

 we have said our best word for the bull Elk, at least. 

 His temper is extremely disagreeable, and he is selfish 

 and at times cruel, both to his mate and the young 

 fawns, driving them away from the best fodder and 

 playing the tyrant in every way. 



" The Elk once ranged in almost every part of the 

 United States, and half-way up through the British 

 Provinces ; but wild, shy, hating the sight and sound of 

 man, they retreated westward very quickly as the coun- 

 try settled, and, leaving the plains and prairies to the 

 Bison and Antelope, settled in the mountain parks 

 where the water supply was good. In and about the 

 Yellowstone Park there are many herds of Elk, perhaps 

 numbering 50,000, and their cast-off antlers are so plen- 

 tiful in that region that long lines of fences are made of 

 them. But as they often seek winter food and shelter 

 out of the bleak park in a place called Jackson's Hole, 

 pot hunters have a chance to capture them almost in 

 sight of Government protection. Ready as they are to 

 eat any kind of vegetable food, even to gnawing bark 

 from trees, they fare poorly in winter, since their range 

 has been shut in on every side, and, weakened by lack 

 of food, they often starve and freeze in considerable 

 numbers, their skeletons being found where they have 

 lain down in a group and been too weak ever to rise. 



