130 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



bottom of the neck, although the hairs may sometimes be found 

 a little longer on the neck than on the body, 



I have sought on specimens of the Columbia deer in Washing- 

 ton Territory, in Oregon, and in California, for the tuft of long 

 hairs near the umbilicus, described by Audubon, but I could 

 never detect the least appearance of it. Sir John Richardson's 

 figure of the mule deer represents that species as provided with a 

 similar appendage, but this I can confidently assert is a mis- 

 description, as well as the long bushy tail which he puts on the 

 same animal. Indeed I have never found this tuft, which is 

 universally found on the common bull, on a single individual of 

 either of the deer family, and am very confident it is not an 

 ordinary appendage to either one of them. This tuft on the bull 

 marks the orifice of the theca, which on both the mule and the 

 Columbia deer, is far back between the thighs, as is more par- 

 ticularly described in another place. 



On the Moose in my collection, the upper lip or muzzle is 

 covered with hairs, except in front, where there is a naked 

 space shaped precisely like the cross section of an H railway 

 rail, the head of which is exactly between the nostrils, and is 

 one inch and ten lines wide ; and from the top^ of the figure to 

 the mouth, on which rests the foot of the rail, is one inch and six 

 lines, and the thickness of the neck of the rail is three lines. 

 This figure is surrounded with hairs not more than two lines in 

 length, which radiate in every direction from the borders of the 

 head of the figure, but below that point the hairs assume a 

 descending position. These hairs on the upper lip are of a yel- 

 lowish dun color dotted over with black spots, from each of 

 which springs a stiff, tapering, black hair from three to six 

 lines in length. For six inches above the naked space are found 

 sparsely scattered similar hairs, from one to two inches in length. 

 On this region, and above, the hairs assume an ascending direc- 

 tion, and grow lighter in color till a tawny brown is attained on 

 the forehead ; but on the cheeks and the under side of the head 

 black prevails. Tiiis naked mark on the muzzle, and indeed 

 this whole description, answers precisely to my observations on 

 the Scandinavian elk, only the shades of color are generally 

 lighter on the Moose. 



On the Caribou alone, of all our deer, is the muzzle or upper 

 lip entirely covered with short, stiff hairs, except a very narrow- 

 line along the lower edge of the lip. There is no naked line 

 down the middle, as has been stated by some, but the coat is 



