i U.K. 



rn.r. 



Canada SUg. In new England it is knowu by tin- nauia of the tirav [ 

 Mooae, to tlutinguwh it from tin- preceding bout (the True Kit) which 

 they call the BUck Moose." Richardaon itates that it is without 

 doubt the Canada Stag of various author*; but, an P. Cuvier has 

 observed, the want of a pule mark on the rump in IVrrault's figure is 

 sufficient to excite a doubt of its being the C. Canadeiuit of that 

 author. Indeed he doe* not think it at all improbable that this 

 figure U that of the C. Marrotu, which may hereafter prove to be an 

 inhabitant of Upper Canada. Dr. .1. K. I! ray defines it as follows : 

 Red-brown ; rump with a very large pale disc extending for above 

 the bate of the tail, and with a black streak on each side of it ; male 

 with hair of throat elongated, black with reddish tips. 



Geographical Distribution. Sir John Richardson Bays that this 

 animal does not extend its range farther to the north than the 56th 

 or 57th parallel of latitude, nor U it found to the eastward of a line 

 drawn from the south cud of Lake Winipeg to the Saskatchewan in 

 tin- 103rd degree of longitude, and thence till it strikes the F.Ik 

 Itivrr in the lllth degree. To the south of Lake Winipeg he thinks 

 it may perhaps exist farther to the eastward. He adds that they are 

 pretty numerous amongst the clumps of wood that skirt the plains 

 of the Saskatchewan, where they live in small families of six or seven 

 individuals, and that they feed on gram, on the young shoots of 

 willows and poplars, and are very fond of the hips of the Koa Uamla, 

 which forms much of the underwood in the districts which they 

 frequent. 



A. small variety is described as a native of the plains of California 

 and the upper parts of the river Missouri. It U very abundant and 

 occurs in large herds. 



The height of this animal at the shoulders is 4J feet, more than 

 a foot exceeding that of the common stag. All the upper irts 

 and the lower jaw are of a somewhat lively yellowish-brown ; a 

 black mark from the angle of the mouth along the side of the lower 

 jaw ; a brown circle round the eye. The first antlers depressed in 

 the direction of the facial line. Neck mixed red and black, with 

 coarse black hairs descending from it like a dewlap, deeper in colour 

 than the sides. From the shoulders to the hip* French gray ; a pale 

 yellowish patch on the buttocks, bounded on the thighs by a black 

 lint-: tail yellowish. -J.J inches long, whereas it is nearly 7 inches in the 

 Kiinipean Stag. The hair of a mean length on the shoulders, the 

 back, the flanks, the thighs, and the under purl, of the head ; that 

 on the sides and limbs shorter, but the hair is very Ions; on the 

 aides of the head posteriorly and on the neck, particularly below, 

 where they form the kind of dewlap above alluded to. On the in- 

 terior and outer aspect of tin- hind lej;a there is a brush of tawny 

 hair which surrounds a narrow long horny substance. Kara white 

 within and clothed with tufted hair, externally of the same colour 

 as the neighbouring part*; a naked triangular space round the 

 larger lachrymal sinus near the inner angle of the orbit. Hoofs 

 small. Like the common stag, the Wapiti has a muzzle, upper canine 

 teeth, and a soft tongue. The quality of the hair ia brittle and 

 is a short wool beneath it. Richardson thinks that the Crees 



uhi.-tling ami quivering noise, not very unlike the braying of an ass. 

 Mr. Uruimniiud, who saw many in his journeys through the plains 

 of the Saskatchewan, informed Sir .Mm Kuhnrdnon that it does not 

 bell like tho English deer. F. Cuvier describes the cry as prolonged 

 and acute, consisting of the successive sounds a, o, u (French), uttered 

 with so much strength as to offend the ear. 



The fle-h of the Wapiti is coarse, and little prized by the natives, 

 principally on account of the fat being hard like .-ni-t. It want* 

 the juiciness of venison, and resembles dry but small grained beet 

 Its hide, when made into leather after the Indian fashion, is said 

 not to turn hard in drying after being wet, and in that respect to 

 excel moose or rein-deer leather. 



The velvety covering of the horns shrivels and is rubbed off in the 

 month of October, at the commencement of the rutting season, liut. 

 the horns themselves do not fall until the month of March or April. 



The pair shed by 'Monkey' (one of the Wapiti kept, l.y th.i 

 Zoological Society of London in the Regent's Park), on the 4th 

 March, 1837, weighed 2641bs. 





Wapiti (C.rn Cfniufnuu). 



That the Wapiti will live and thrive well and propagate in Great 

 Britain there ia now no doubt; but grand as the appearance of the 

 animal is, it U not probable that it will be bred here to any great 

 extent on account of the inferior quality of it* venison. 



4. C. Elapkut, the Stag. It is the Common Stag, or Red Doer, of 





Common Stag (Crrrul Elaph\u). 

 2f.H. Mr. Smith mnkn a lub-gtnui or the True Stag* under the name of Klajiliia. 



give it the name of Stinking Head on account of the large suborbital 

 opening. 



Hearne gives the Wapiti a character for stupidity mirpaiwiiig that 



the English ; Carw (Stag), Ewin (Hind), Klain (' Yoiin^ <.r Calf], of the 

 ancient British ; I bi 'Hindi, Kaon (Young or 



C'ldf). of the French ; Cervio, (Vrvia. of the |i 



of all the deer kind. He say* that they frequently make a shrill of tho Spanish ; Cervo, Cerva, of the Portuguese ; Hirtz, Hindi (Stag), 



