Southern (American) Elk. 45 



mountains of Pennsylvania, and other parts of the 

 United- States. This vegetable is called, in Pennsyl- 

 vania, Elk- nut*. I have not been able to learn, whe- 

 ther, in his wild state, he eats, as the common deer 

 does, the different kinds of Kalmia, or Laurel, and 

 the Rhododendron. There can be little doubt, how- 

 ever, that he does. One, which I had an opportunity 

 of seeing, in Philadelphia, seemed very fond of the 

 leaves of the Kalmia latifolia, or Broad-leaved Laurel, 

 and those of the Rhododendron maximum, or Great 

 Pennsylvania Mountain-Laurel. Some of the hunters 

 say, he can eat, with impunity, these poisonous 

 plants, because he has no gall-bladder. This expla- 

 nation will not satisfy philosophers. (See Note 3.) 

 The same Elk (a female) greedily devoured the leaves 

 and small branches of the Weeping- Willow (Salix 

 babylonica), the leaves of Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), 

 and 'other plants. She refused the leaves of the Po- 

 dophyllum peltatum, or May- Apple. She was fond 

 of oats, and, when young, as I was informed, showed 

 an evident attachment to milk, and to sweet cider; 

 but would never, like too many of the hunters of Elk 

 and other animals, drink cider-royal, or any thing 

 spirituous. It is probable, however, that the Elk, as 

 well as the moosef, would, without much difficulty, 

 be brought into the bad habit of drinking, and getting 

 drunk. The natural habits of many animals are 

 easily changed. In particular, it is remarkable with 



* It is the Pyruluria puberula of Michaux. 



+ See Pennant's Arctic Zoology. Vol. i. p. 24. 



