336 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



when we consider its extraordinary constancy in all the species, 

 speaks very much in favor of their comn'^on origin. In both, 

 this gland is located in the same place, in both it is entirely 

 covered with white hairs, which are surrounded by a tuft 

 of darker hairs ; this again is surrounded by a border of tawny 

 color, which unites below the tuft, the tawny shade continu- 

 ing down the posterior edge of the leg to the foot, and in both 

 the tuft is of the same relative size. While these are so exactly 

 alike on all the individuals of both these varieties, on none of the 

 other members of the genus, in this country, at least, is this gland 

 overgrown with hair, a very remarkable coincidence if they are 

 not relatives. 



There is a difference in the color of these animals which seems 

 to have become permanent and characteristic. The general color 

 of the body of the Wapiti is a yellowish gray on the back and 

 sides, with a darker shade on the belly, neck, and legs. The Stag 

 shows a reddish gray, instead of the yellowish gray, also with a 

 darker shade below as on the American variety, but the differ- 

 ence in color is no greater than on the two other species whose 

 analogies we have already considered. The white border around 

 the eye, a mark observed on most though not all of the deer fam- 

 ily, though varying greatly in extent on different individuals, is 

 still generally present on the Stag, is more faded on Wapiti, and 

 on some individuals seems wanting. 



After all, the greatest distinction I have been able to discover 

 is in the tail, that on the Red Deer being appreciably longer in 

 proportion to the size of the animal than on our Elk, it having 

 more of a rufous shade of color and terminating less abruptly, or 

 being more pointed. On our Elk the tail is so short that it does 

 not cover the genital organ of the female, while this is completely 

 hidden on the Red Deer. Of all the differences which I have 

 been able to discover between these two animals, this to me has 

 seemed the most important and has made me hesitate longest in 

 making up my mind as to the identity of the species. 



The difference in size of the animals, though very great, say 

 more than one half, has very little significance in determining 

 the question. Very great differences exist among individuals on 

 both sides. I have seen some Red Deer as large as some of my 

 smallest Elk, although this is no doubt of rare occurrence. 



But we have still greater differences in size among some of our 

 undoubted species. The average of the Virginia deer is twice as 

 large in the north as when found in its most southern range, 



