THE STAG-WAPITTI. 81 



educated classes this misnomer will be heard; thus the 

 wapitti is invariably denominated an elk, the proper name 

 for a moose ; so that the sportsman desirous of devoting 

 his time to the pursuit of Wapitti deer, in seeking informa- 

 tion where they are to be found, had better inquire for the 

 animal under his false sobriquet. It is strange how many 

 mistakes of this description have crept into tr,c naming of 

 American quadrupeds, fishes, and birds; thus the buffalo 

 is a bison, the pheasant a grouse, the quail or partridge 

 an ortix dozens of these errors could be enumerated, but 

 the previous examples will suffice. 



The noble horns which the stag wapitti bears give him 

 a most imposing appearance, for they are wide-branching, 

 ponderous, and covered with numerous points, and not 

 unfrequently, in the case of very old males, semi-palrnated. 

 [n height the stag frequently stands fourteen hands and a 

 half, and so powerful are their proportions, that the carcase 

 is as broad and strongly put together as that of a draft- cob. 

 Possibly it may be the knowledge of their strength, but, 

 unlike the majority of their family, they prefer open prairie 

 or sparsely treed river-edges to the densely-covered wet 

 lands. From this circumstance it is easy to find abundant 

 opportunities to course them with greyhounds ; but, from 

 the strength of the adversary, your dogs must be of great 

 size and courage ; even then, if the game be driven to bay, 

 woe betide the aggressor who should come within reach of 

 his powerful fore-feet, for he can deal a blow, or, rather, 

 make a thrust with his sharp-pointed hoofs, that literally 

 would go through the panel of an ordinary door. Well 

 the wolf knows this ; and it is of rare occurrence that the 



6 



