138 Sport and Life. 



of Natural History. I may mention in this connection that years 

 ago I initiated in a humble way a campaign against this misuse 

 of names. With Professor Baird I had several long discussions, 

 and with Caton some correspondence concerning a suggestion 

 I ventured to make, namely, to let the Montana hunter have 

 his way, and to adopt also as the scientific name, black-tail, in 

 lieu of the somewhat libellous name, mule deer, and to call the 

 Pacific coast species the Columbian deer. The usefulness of this 

 suggestion was not denied, but ow y ing to the lamented death of 

 Professor Baird, which occurred soon afterwards, no official notice 

 was taken by the Smithsonian of the suggested change. Is it too 

 late to do so now ? 



