West American Wapiti 57 



wapiti by the characters of the antlers, which were supposed to exhibit an 

 abortion of the part above the great fourth tine. The examination of a 

 larger series of specimens has, however, permitted Dr. D. G. Elliot to 

 state in vol. i. of the zoological section of the publications of the Field 

 Columbian Museum (1899) that, taken as a whole, the antlers of this 

 local race of wapiti cannot be distinguished from those of its Rocky 



Fig. 13. — Antlers of West American Wapiti. From Dr. D. G. Elliot, Bulletin of the Field 



Columbian Museum. 



Mountain representative. From this typical form there is, however, 

 a great tendency to vary, both as regards size, shape, the number of tines, 

 and the presence of palmation or cupping ; consequently, specimens of an 

 extremely unusual and bizarre type are relatively numerous. Although 

 palmation is met with among Rocky Mountain wapiti antlers, in none 

 is this feature developed to such an extent as in a pair described by 

 Dr. Elliot. 



As regards colour, the same gentleman states that, except in winter, 

 this is very similar in the western wapiti to that of the typical race. In 



