Alaskan Elk 49 



THE ALASKAN ELK, OR MOOSE 



[Alces machlis g'tgas) 



The Alaskan elk, or moose, was described as a distinct species in 

 1899 by Mr. G. S. Miller,^ under the name of Alces gigcu ; but, as men- 

 tioned above, seems better regarded as an unusually large local race of the 

 ordinary elk. 



The specimens on whose evidence the present animal was described 

 were obtained from the Kenai Peninsula, in South Alaska, and included 

 four males and two females. The large pair of antlers, belonging to the 

 Duke of Westminster, figured on page 53 of the Deer of All Lands, are 

 referable to the present race. 



Mr. Miller describes the Alaskan elk as larger and more richly 

 coloured than the elk of the Eastern United States and Canada ; while it is 

 said to be further distinguished by the narrower occipital region of the 

 skull, the wider palate, and the heavier lower jaw, the whole skull being 

 larger and more massive. The general colour is described as a grizzled 

 mixture of black and wood-brown, becoming darker along the back, and 

 changing suddenly to pure black on the chest, buttocks, and lower part ot 

 the flanks ; the middle line of the under surface of the body is hair-brown, 

 as are the legs, which have, however, a darker shading. The head is 

 coloured like the back, but is more finely grizzled ; the ears being hair- 

 brown on the outer surface, and yellowish white internally. In height 

 this magnificent animal stands considerably over six feet at the withers ; 

 and the above-mentioned pair of antlers in the possession of the Duke ot 

 Westminster have a span of 72 inches. This dimension is, however, 

 exceeded by a pair from the Yukon in the possession of Mr. F. W. Sheerd, 



1 Proceedings Biological Society of M'as/iagtori, vol. xiii. p. 57 (1899). 



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