COAT AND COLOR. 145 



neck, and legs the color changes but little through the summer. 

 With this summer coat the fur, which is so very abundant with 

 the winter coat, does not appear. 



In September this coat gives place to the winter dress, but as 

 I have elsewhere observed, the change is so gradual as to require 

 the closest scrutiny to detect it, although the new coat differs 

 very materially from the old in some parts. This difference is 

 greatest upon the necks and legs of the males, and upon the 

 under sides of the bellies of all ; still the change of dress and con- 

 sequently of color is so gradual, that we may watch the herd day 

 by day, and note the change of color, without being aware that 

 it is due to a change of dress. We merely notice that these dark 

 shades are growing deeper and deeper during the latter part of 

 August and in September, and that upon the bodies of all a 

 darker shade, which appears softer and more glossy, is creeping 

 over the animal. 



When the new winter coat is fairly established, a very marked 

 difference in color is observed between the males and the females 

 where the darker shades prevail. The neck, legs, and belly are 

 a brownish black on the males, and the dark border on the lower 

 part of the white posterior patch is a very intense black. At the 

 same time, on the female, the head, neck, legs, and belly, are 

 a chestnut brown. Under the belly it is the darkest — indeed, 

 fairly black on all. We can hardly appreciate this, by observ- 

 ing the live animal, but when the animal is killed and turned on 

 its back to be dressed, we are surprised that we had so much 

 overlooked this darker shade of the belly, which now appears to 

 be quite black. 



The white patch on the rump commences at the top of the hip 

 and extends back so as to embrace the tail ; its outer border de- 

 scends laterally in a circular form, so that when even with the 

 seat of the tail, above that member, it nearly describes a semi- 

 circle; thence the outer border descends down the ham, gradually 

 drawing inwardly, contracting the white section which, however, 

 descends to unite with the lighter shades of the inguinal region. 

 This white portion is bordered by an intensely black stripe, 

 which commences on either side above the region of the tail and 

 continues down to the posterior sides of the thighs, where it fades 

 out and is lost. This black mark appears on animals of all ages 

 and both sexes, but is the most brilliant on the male in the 

 prime of life and in the fall of the year. The tawn}^ yellow of 

 the body of the Elk, as it appears in the fall, fades out to a sickly, 



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