MAMMALS. 



35 



'Western White-tail 'Deer : Odocolleus vtrginianus macrourus 

 (Rafinesqiie). — These small, graceful yellow deer are readily distin- 

 guished from the larger mule deer by their long, bushy tails, which 

 show white only when raised, by their small ears, and in the bucks 

 by horns with a single beam and upright prongs. The white 

 rump patch of the mule deer is lacking, but in running the tail of 

 the white-tail is thrown up and the long, white hairs are spread at 

 will, making an enormous fan-shaped flag that is far more conspicu- 

 ous than the white rump patch of the mule deer. White-tails are 

 abundant on the whole west slope of the park but are rarely found 

 in the valleys of the east slope. Their favorite hiunits are the men cl- 

 ows, thickets, and deep forests, 

 but in summer a few, especially 

 the old bucks, range high up in 

 the open areas near timberline. 

 The stream banks, lake shores, 

 and little meadows are their 

 favorite feeding grounds, but 

 their beds are found in dense 

 thickets or the deep woods in 

 summer, and their slender tracks 

 dot the margins of every pool and 

 stream and beach throughout this 

 wonderful forested area. Their 

 numbers will never be known, but, 

 judging* from the abundance of 

 tracks and the extent of the range, 

 they must run into the thou- 

 sands. If their enemies, the coy- 

 otes and mountain lions, could 

 be kept down, their increase 

 would be so* rapid that a great 

 overflow into surrounding areas 

 would inevitably take- place. Even in their present abundance 

 they are often seen along the trails and near the hotels and 

 camps in summer. At Granite Park they are common, and in 

 crossing Kootenai Pass from Waterton Lake to Granite Park we saw 

 above timberline near the summit of the pass on the western spur of 

 Cathedral Peak, or what the guides call Flat Top Mountain (not 

 the Flat Top of the map), a beautiful bunch of thi-ee bucks and 

 a yearling. They were lying in the shade of rock shelves on the cold 

 slope when first seen at 2 p. m., and allowed the saddle and pack 

 horses to come close up before they spread their great white tails 

 and loped over the ridge ahead of us-. They showed very little fear 

 and much curiosity, and would lope a little way in advance and wait 



Fig. 5. — Head of white-tail deer at Bel- 

 ton, Mont., with characteristic single- 

 beam antlers, small ears, and obscure 

 face markings. 



