174 GAME. 



attack, and stood stockstill until the train passed, the most 

 perfect picture of animal life it has ever been my good 

 fortune to see. 



I may be a little enthusiastic ; but the black- tail 

 is to me the finest of plains animals, and its pursuit 

 possesses a fascination which I find in no other hunting. 



The black-tailed deer is considerably larger than 

 the red deer, the bucks in good season not unfrequently 

 weighing over 250 pounds, and I have heard of one 

 killed by an army officer which kicked the beam 

 at 280. 



In colour it is very dark grey or mouse colour, 

 though for some time after shedding in the spring 

 the coat consists of a thin covering of coarse reddish 

 hair. Its tail, unlike the broad white flag of the red 

 deer, is rather thinly haired, and the end is tipped for 

 two or three inches with a thick tuft of short black 

 hair, which gives the name to the animal. Its tail is 

 not lifted in running as with the red deer. Its ears 

 are rather long and heavy, from which circumstance 

 it is in some parts of the country called the ' mule 

 deer/ 



The ease and grace of motion of this animal are 

 confined to his slower movements. In running, other 

 deer project themselves forward by a great muscular 

 effort of the hind legs, alighting on the fore feet, but 

 using the fore legs only as support until the hind legs 

 can be brought into position for another effort. 



The black-tail uses all four of his legs in making 

 his spring. All his feet strike the ground at the same 

 time and are in the air at the same time. This 

 gait appears very awkward, and these ' buck jumps ' 

 would seem to promise but little speed. On the contrary, 

 however, he is extremely fleet on any ground, and he 

 gets over rocks and ravines with almost as much ease 

 and certainly with as much speed as that king of 

 climbers, the mountain sheep. His habits are very 



