COAT AND COLOR. 135 



coarse stiff hairs, but the white is much more extended. Instead 

 of being confined to a narrow band surrounding the hoofs, while 

 the leg is of a nut-brown shade, the whole foot and leg are white, 

 except a tawny brown stripe extending down the front of each 

 leg, with white hairs interspersed, diminishing in extent as it 

 proceeds downward, till it terminates in front of the accessory- 

 hoofs. At least this is the case with those in my collection, and 

 I learn that mine are not peculiar in this regard. The difference 

 in the color of the legs of the two species of reindeer, when placed 

 side by side, is very striking. But this greater extent of white on 

 the northern species is in harmony with a law already referred to. 

 In a great majority of cases, more or less white is found about 

 the hoofs of the Virginia Deer, but rarely to the extent of that 

 which is uniformly found about the foot of the Caribou, so that it 

 must be considered a fugitive and not a permanent mark of the 

 species. If present, this white is sure to be seen between the 

 toes, and sometimes it is limited to that region. Usually this 

 white mark extends in a narrow line up the front of the leg to 

 opposite the accessory hoofs. The white also frequently shows 

 itself around the upper part of the hoofs, perhaps only for a short 

 distance, and sometimes, though rarely, quite around both. Some- 

 times these white markings appear on one or more of the feet, 

 and sometimes on all. On some, no white ever appears around 

 the feet. This white is very pure, not a colored hair being found 

 intermixed with it. Above, the leg is of the rufous shade, vary- 

 ing very greatly in intensity, from the color prevailing on the body 

 to almost pure white. I have in my collection a specimen, the 

 legs of which are almost entirely of a yellowish white, only a line 

 down the anterior edge of the leg has tawny red hairs inter- 

 mixed with the white, imparting a sandy shade. The tuft over 

 the metatarsal gland is a purer white than on the rest of the leg 

 of this deer, but the difference is scarcely perceptible. I remark 

 the exceptional feature, that the hairs composing the tuft over 

 the tarsal gland are for their whole length a tawny yellow, con- 

 trasting strongly with the white, clothing the balance of the leg 

 inside and outside. This specimen is from the Rocky Mountains, 

 where it is called the white-tailed deer, or, further north, the long- 

 tailed deer, or Cervus leueurus of some authors ; and yet the tail, 

 although there is no black upon it, cannot be distinguished, either 

 in length, form, or color, from many living specimens in my 

 grounds. I have in another place assigned the reasons why we 

 must class this with the Virginia deer, and it is scarcely entitled 



