220 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



outside, a white streak underneath, a full-haired tail, 

 not bare underneath like a mule deer, and round, not 

 flat like a Virginia deer, then the animal is a true 

 Columbia black-tail deer." 



"That's the idea," said Dyche, "but you should 

 not forget to take in the ears and leg glands. The 

 ears of the common deer are about half as long as its 

 tail, the ears of the mule deer are nearly as long as 

 its tail, while the ears of the Columbia deer are of 

 intermediate size, being a little over half as long as 

 the tail. Then there are the leg glands, which are 

 always a distinctive mark. The metatarsal gland is 

 situated on the outside of the hind leg between the 

 hock joint and foot. The gland is easily found from 

 the extra length of the hair which grows about it and 

 forms a tuft. The glandular structure can easily be 

 seen by separating the hair which grows on either 

 side of it. This gland in a mule deer is from six to 

 eight inches long, extending down from just below 

 the hock joint ; in the true black-tail deer it is from 

 three to four inches long ; in the common Virginia 

 deer it is from one to two inches long. " 



" Well, I'd just like to know what kind of a deer 

 this is that Armstrong killed," said Farrell. "Its 

 tail is black on the outside." 



" You see the horns are those of the common Vir- 

 ginia deer," said the naturalist. "There is one main 

 beam, with long five-inch brow points. All the 

 other points grow up from the main beam. The tail 

 is, as you say, black on the outside, but it is long 

 twice as long as the ears. Horns, ears, and tail go 

 to show that this is a Virginia deer. It is not an 



