COAT AND COLOR. 137 



reflecting the sun's raj^s, like that of a well-groomed horse. His 

 prevailing color if in his prime is jet black, with beautiful golden 

 brown legs and flanks jjale fawn." ^ 



Dr. Gilpin, in describing the color in September, of a male 

 three years and four months old, says : " The color of this bull 

 was in the liighest summer coating of deep glossy black and short 

 as a well-groomed horse. The muffle and forehead had a brownish 

 yellow cast, the cheeks "and neck dark black ; the ears were light 

 fawn inside, a little darker outside ; the crest yellowish, mixed 

 gray and white, and a yellow gray patch upon the croup. The 

 inside of the buttock and all the legs both inside and outside 

 were bright yellow fawn, the black of the body running down 

 half way to the hocks and to the knees, and ending with an ab- 

 rupt line in a point. There was also a black line running from 

 each hock and each knee in front and widening to join the hoof. 

 This line has heretofore escaped observers." 



Audubon and Bachman, in closing their description of the 

 color of the Moose, say : " The young animals, for the first winter, 

 are of a reddish brown color ; individuals even of the same age 

 often differ in color, some being darker than others, but there is 

 always a striking difference between the summer and winter 

 colors, the hairs in winter becoming darker ; as the Moose ad- 

 vances in age, the color continues to deepen, until it appears 

 black ; thence it was named by Hamilton Smith, not inappro- 

 priately as regards color, ' the American Black Elk.' " Here are 

 some errors that require correction. While the winter coat is 

 darker than the summer coat the striking contrast is in Septem- 

 ber, when the winter coat first appears. From that time onward, 

 it grows lighter continually. It is manifest, however, that they 

 did not mistake the new winter coat for the summer coat, as very 

 often occurs, but they clearly recognized the two pelages in each 

 year, in the Moose, as occurs with all the other deer, which, 

 however, has been rarely noticed or appreciated by those most 

 familiar with the animal. How they fell into the error of stating 

 that the color of tlie Moose deepens as it advances in age until it 

 finally appears black, it is not easy to explain. All most familiar 

 with the animal, agree that after the first year, the winter coat 

 is blackest, and that after full maturity it sensibly grows lighter 

 with advancing age. Captain Hardy says: "In old bulls of the 

 American variety the coat is inclined to assume a grizzly hue." 



Mr. Morrow writes me, quoting from a friend who often ac- 



1 Forest Life in Acadie, p. 66. 



