264 



DEER. 



account of the describer, and of the fact (a very 

 important one), of his having seen the animal in its 

 native locality : " Our wapiti resembles the common 

 stag in nearly all his proportions, but his size is far 

 superior, being at the shoulder from four feet four to 

 four feet eight inches, the superiority of bulk appearing 

 chiefly in the magnitude of the body. The hind is 

 similar to the stag, with inferior proportions ; the 

 colour of both in the summer season is fulvous brown 

 on the back ; a black spot on each side of the 

 corners of the mouth descends on the under lip, 

 round the eye brown, and down the face darker ; the 

 neck also is darker than the body, being mixed with 

 a purplish brown tint on those parts ; the limbs are 

 anteriorly dark, and lighter from behind ; under the 

 horns long hairs form a sort of dewlap, also darker in 

 colour ; the buttocks and tail are pale fawn colour, 

 separated from the brown of the thigh by a dark 

 streak ; the tail is short, but varies from two to four 

 inches in length ; the suborbital sinus is long, open 

 and naked next the eye ; the ears are long, lined 

 with white hair within, and dark coloured externally ; 

 inside of the limbs and on the belly the hair is close 

 and buff-col oured. 



" The specimens seen in Europe appear somewhat 

 different in their colours from those in America, no 

 doubt in consequence of confinement and grooming. 

 The long hair of the throat, and also much of that on 

 the ridge of the neck and sides, dropping off. This 

 description, derived from comparing several living 

 specimens both in Europe and America, is the sum- 

 mer habit. One individual in his winter fur was of a 

 chocolate brown red, mixed with grey, all over the 

 body ; the neck, thickly furnished with long hair, and 

 the woolly soft fur on the forehead, were sepia-brown ; 

 the chin pure white, and the buttocks and tail also 

 nearly white. 



" Comparing this account with our notes taken on 

 the spot during a winter in America, we find a stag 

 reported to have been brought from the Missouri, but 

 which in reality might have been taken in the north- 

 ern districts of the state of New York, in the vicinity 

 of the great lakes. He was three years old, four feet 

 six inches high at the shoulder ; the nose and legs 

 sepia-black, turning on the neck and back to dun 

 brown ; the croup and tail nearly white ; the body 

 short and thick like the trunk of an ass ; the legs 

 shaped as in a calf, very perpendicular on the buttocks, 

 with appearance of callosities on the knees ; the croup 

 somewhat more elevated than the withers ; the neck 

 much arched and adorned with some long hair, the 

 full expansion of that part not taking place till the 

 fifth year ; the muzzle broad and black ; the eyes 

 dark, and the aspect mild ; the horns were greatly- 

 deformed. On the 17th of February, another sketch 

 was taken of the same animal, his horns were begin- 

 ning to shoot anew, the cicatrix of the former not 

 quite healed, and their form resembling a flattened 

 globe ; his face was covered with woolly hair, ex- 

 tremely thick ; on the side of the hinder legs, near 

 the true heel, a gland imbedded in hair secreted an 

 unctuous fluid, which seemed to cause uneasiness, and 

 we were informed that while the horns are expanding 

 the animal frequently rubs the points of the antlers 

 against them ; the colour of his fur was a sepia-grey, 

 extremely shaggy. This individual was, according to 

 Mr. Skudder, exactly similar to the specimen shot on 

 Long Island, and might therefore be considered the 

 Canadian variety ; and the drawing, compared with 

 v 



the stuffed specimen in Paris, if it be not the identi- 

 cal animal, closely resembles it. 



" The horns of this species acquire a surprising de- 

 velopment, expanding with such rapidity that at one 

 period their growth exceeds an inch and a half per 

 day. In the Long Island specimen, of six antlers each 

 measured above three feet in length, and the bur and 

 beam were exceedingly large, but in some individuals 

 they arc asserted to exceed six feet. One specimen, 

 of which we have a drawing 1 , shows them nearly five- 

 feet long. The base and tertian, or brow and royal 

 antlers, are invariably the longest in both the varieties. 

 These seem to be instruments of use, for with them, 

 when a small dead pine, or a bar of a split fence six- 

 teen or eighteen feet long, lies in their way, they will 

 lift and toss it clear over their backs. 



" In England, where they have propagated, it appears 

 that some care is required for their preservation, since 

 to an alleged neglect of this kind is ascribed the loss 

 of no less than twelve head of the herd belonging to 

 the king. In Canada they feed on some buds of 

 coniferous trees and grass, and in summer on aquatic 

 plants, which they seek under water while sheltering 

 themselves in that element from the bites of flics. It 

 was in the act of feeding in this manner that we had 

 a view of the Canadian stag. We were in a canoe 

 ascending the Chaudiere, at a point where the river 

 bends suddenly on opening into a small lake. A hunter 

 among us made a warning sign for silence and pointed 

 a- head, but nothing appeared on the surface of the 

 water ; the bateau men, hosveven understood the sign, 

 and grasped their muskets, but with so much precipita- 

 tion and noise as to alarm the game, which now again 

 put his head above water, and seeing the canoe sprang 

 forward towards the bank with his month full of weeds. 

 At this instant he was fired at, but he gained the shore 

 very near us, and dashed with elevated antlers into 

 cover, as was thought, unhurt ; he appeared quite black, 

 with large expanded horns, but no further observations 

 could be made. We were then informed that at this 

 period (August) they are often killed while feeding 

 under water, but the canoe must be so placed as to 

 glide with the current and without noise close to 

 them ; the game only raising its head to breathe from 

 time to time, takes no notice of an object which ap- 

 pears motionless. 



" On the banks of the Missouri they are said to live 

 in small families of ten or twelve individuals, headed 

 by an old male, who is reported to be monogamous 

 the rest beside the hind being calves and semi-adults. 

 The females are capable of procreating very early, 

 one born in England having produced a calf at eight- 

 teen months old. This circumstance militates against 

 the opinion of the Indians respecting their longevity. 

 The males do not bellow, but when the}' are alarmed 

 or excited send forth a loud piercing whistle, to all 

 appearance from the suborbital slit. They mew their 

 horns in the latter days of February or during March, 

 and require little more than three months to recover 

 them, notwithstanding their enormous size." Animal 

 Kingdom, vol. iv. p. 98, &c. 



From the character of its native country, thore is 

 little doubt that the wapiti might be added to the 

 ornamental animals of this country ; and though it 

 wants the majesty of the stag, the beauty of the roe, 

 and the softness "of the fallow deer, yet its size and 

 the grandeur of its apparel would render it a highly 

 interesting variety in the more extensive parks. 

 NORTH-WESTERN STAG Cervus occidentals. It is 



