BLACK-TAILED DEER. 175 



similar to those of the elk, except that he rarely trusts 

 himself on the plains except when migrating. 



The buck loses his horns in February ; and in April 

 and May he retires to the fastnesses of the mountains, as 

 near the snow line as possible, to grow another pair. 

 This process is evidently as painful and sickening 

 to him as to the elk, for from May to July it is only 

 by penetrating to and rousing him from his lair that 

 he can be seen at all. 



During these months the does, unlike cow elk, assem- 

 ble in herds, probably for mutual protection of the 

 fawns ; but they also, though never seen with or near the 

 bucks at this season, keep well up on the sides of the 

 highest mountains within reach. 



While the horns are yet in the velvet, the bucks 

 collect in herds, but it is not until October that both 

 sexes congregate together again. The velvet is rubbed 

 off at the proper time, against trees and bushes, as with 

 the elk. 



During the running season the bucks are exceedingly 

 pugnacious, the friends and companions of only a few 

 days before fighting desperate battles for the ' favours 

 of the fair.' They rarely kill each other, however, the 

 weakest or most timid betaking himself to flight before 

 any serious injury is done. Frequent and large scars 

 show, however, that these encounters are no child's 

 play. 



A herd of black- tails in the height of the running 

 season resembles a well-ordered family of barn-yard 

 fowls. Each buck has by actual experiment ascertained 

 which of the other bucks he can whip and which can whip 

 him ; and while tyrannical to the last degree, and per- 

 mitting no familiar approach of the former, he takes 

 most excellent care to keep well out of the way of the 

 latter. 



The buck's life at this season is a very busy one. 

 Twenty or thirty may be in one herd, with as many 



