NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK—BAKER. 451 
formerly common throughout the plains west of the Mississippi, but 
its range is now much less. In the Yellowstone Park, where it is 
carefully preserved, a considerable number are found. It does not 
stand well the more humid climate of the eastern United States, and 
on this account is difficult to keep in zoological collections. It is 
easily tamed and becomes very familiar with its keepers. 
THE DEER. 
The deer family is a very large one, comprising specimens inhabiting 
every quarter of the globe. The most striking characteristic of the 
race is the almost universal possession by the males of peculiar 
branched appendages termed antlers, or horns, which are cast off 
every year and again renewed with astonishing rapidity. The park 
possesses specimens of many different species of this family. 
Of distinctively American species, the Virginia deer is the most 
famous as well as the most widely distributed. It still lingers in the 
forest of the northern United States, in the Alleghanies, and in the 
South, extending into Mexico. It varies much in size and color in 
different localities. A fine specimen is a most beautiful object, as 
may be seen by the picture of a fawn in plate 8. This photograph 
was taken in the Blue Mountain Forest Park, and is published by 
the kind permission accorded by Mr. Baynes, one of the board of 
managers of the Bison Society. Similar animals are shown in the 
National Zoological Park, but this illustration is presented because 
it is an unusually successful nhotograph, not always easy to secure in 
the case of living animals. 
Notwithstanding their apparent gentleness, the bucks of this 
species are at times very dangerous animals. On one occasion a buck 
attacked the principal keeper at the park and would probably have 
killed him if he had not been able to get behind a tree and, by seizing 
both antlers, hold the animal until assistance could arrive. It is 
often necessary to saw off the antlers from ugly bucks to prevent their 
injuring others. 
Specimens of the mule deer, a western form with large ears, may 
also be seen. This species was formerly very abundant on the western 
plains. Care is taken to preserve it in the Yellowstone National Park. 
One of these animals once jumped over the 8-foot fence of its paddock 
and created considerable excitement by wandering about the city. 
After a few days it came back to its paddock and submitted again 
to being shut up. 
Our largest American deer is the moose, known in Europe as the 
elk, a term which we have improperly applied to the wapiti. Several 
attempts have been made at the park to keep the moose, but these 
have not been very successful. The animal lives in the vast northern 
