DOMESTICATION. 109 



blood and hair lying on the snow, from which he justly 

 inferred a battle had recently taken place between wolves and 

 an elk. Having other matters to attend to at the moment I 

 took no notice of the communication ; but the circum- 

 stance being mentioned to another person, he forthwith 

 repaired to the spot, near to which he found, not as he had 

 anticipated, a dead deer, but a wolf; which, from the wounds 

 and bruises about its body, it was clear, had been destroyed 

 by the antlers or hoofs of an elk. 



The elk can be readily domesticated. Several instances 

 have come to my knowledge, where they, when brought up 

 from a tender age, have become nearly as tame as the cattle 

 with which they were not unfrequently allowed to consort 

 and pasture. But I never heard of this animal being 

 trained to harness, as formerly was often the case in Scan- 

 dinavia. 



Some years ago I procured one of these domesticated 

 elks, then three years old, for the late Earl of Derby. But 

 during the short time that he was in my possession 

 whether owing to change of quarters, or to unacquaintance 

 with his keepers he was not particularly tractable. At 

 times, indeed, he would strike out with his fore-feet his 

 most formidable weapon in a very vicious manner. 



When the fawns are taken at an early age and they 

 are difficult of capture subsequently, for after the lapse of 

 two or three days they make exceedingly good use of their 

 legs they may readily be reared by the hand. In the first 

 instance they should be fed with milk fresh from the cow, or 

 if that be not procurable, milk should be warmed up and 

 administered either out of a horn or a spoon ; afterwards, 



