TENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 209 



found in this country, the animal frequents, evidently by choice, 

 high and rocky land. This cannot be on account of disturbance 

 by man or wolves, since neither is present in any considerable 

 numbers in the low marshy country adjacent to the home of these 

 moose. 



The animals range along the sides and tops of the mountains, 

 far above the level frequented by the elk; and their tracks are 

 found mingled with those of the mule deer, which are fairly 

 numerous in this country. The moose descend by necessity to 

 the caiion beds for water unless there are springs on the moun- 

 tain sides, in which case they appear to be the watering places 

 of choice. I have often traced the tracks to the rivers, sometimes 

 in marshy places, and have found that after drinking they re- 

 turned directly to the mountains, only very rarely feeding along 

 the banks of the streams, even though willow bushes may be 

 fairly abundant in these spots. They seem to come down for 

 drink for the most part early in the morning or late in the after- 

 noon after sundown. Apparently they can go for a long time 

 without water, a fact very easily demonstrated in a country so 

 scantily supplied with water as is this section of the Rocky 

 Mountains. 



I have carefully searched the bottoms of the caiions for evi- 

 dence of feeding or beds, but rarely with success. Nearly all 

 the tracks seen were clearly those of travelling animals which 

 came to the stream with the definite purpose of securing water 

 and immediately returning to higher ground. The favorite 

 drinking places about Moose Alountain are Moose Spring, a 

 shallow bog hole, and the Hidden Spring, both of which are 

 situated high up on the mountainside. 



From an examination of the stomach the food appears to con- 

 sist entirely of twigs, chiefly quaking asp and bayberry ; but occa- 

 sionally willow and segments and berries of a species of sumach 

 are found. I did not find grass, rushes, or lily pads in the stomach, 

 nor have I ever seen evidence of cropping of these plants where 

 they exist in close proximity to the moose haunts. The favorite 

 feeding time seems to be between sunrise and about ii a.m., 

 though I have run across them eating in the early after- 

 noon. 



In feeding, the animals seem to favor the open parks or spaces 

 where the bayberry and quaking asp grow, and where an unin- 

 terrupted view of the surrounding country can be obtained, 

 though there are patches of this growth mingled with pine and 

 heavv timber. 



