RUMINANTIA. 209 



ing animals. In frontier countries these animals are exceedingly 

 useful, not only for the food which they furnish, but for their 

 skins, which form an important article of commerce. They live 

 upon twigs of trees, shrubs, berries and grasses ; for the buds 

 and flowers of the pond-lily, they are said to show a peculiar 

 fondness. The female has one, sometimes two fawns at a birth, 

 in the latter part of spring or early in the summer. 



C. alces. The ELK or MOOSE. Flat-Horned Elk, Black 

 Moose or Elk. (See Plate VII. fig. 3.) 



This animal, surpassing all the true deer in size and strength, is 

 found in the northern parts of Europe and America. The name 

 which it bears is of Celtic origin, coming from "Elch," whence 

 is derived the latter word alee or alces, which is the Celtic trans- 

 ferred to the Roman language. In America, it is known under 

 the various names of Flat-Horned Elk, Black Elk, or Moose. 

 The latter, which is the more common term, is a corruption of 

 the Indian appellation, Moosoa or Musee, wood eater. 



The Elk is six or seven feet in length, and from four to five 

 and a half feet high at the withers ; the head is large and elon- 

 gated, and is, including the upper lip, covered with short pro- 

 jecting and flexible hair, something like that of the Tapir ; the 

 eyes are moderately large, and placed near the base of the 

 horns ; the ears long and asinine ; the neck very short and strong 

 and furnished with a mane ; the lachrymal pit is small ; horns 

 are found in the male only. The hair of the lips and throat, in 

 connection with its very long and flexible tongue, serves to direct 

 food to the mouth. The food consists of shoots and twigs 'of 

 trees, particularly of striped maple; the Elk also feeds upon 

 high coarse grasses, but when wishing to graze, reaches the 

 ground with difficulty, and sometimes feeds leaning on its knees. 

 It likewise peels old trees and feeds upon the bark. During the 

 summer, Elks frequent the neighborhood of lakes and streams, 

 often resorting to the water as a refuge from tormenting musqui- 

 toes, and feeding upon aquatic plants; like the C. Virginianus, 

 they are said to be particularly fond of the roots of the pond- 

 lily. In winter, they betake themselves to the wooded hills. 

 The Elk can hardly be said to be gregarious, but two or three 

 being seen together, except at particular seasons. Some natu- 

 ralists consider the Moose of this country to be a different species 

 from the Elk of Europe, asserting that in the heavy palmated 

 horns of both, there is a difference which indicate a diversity 

 of species ; but according to DeKay, this difference is not uni- 

 form, and the animals should be considered of the same species. 

 The horns, perfected in the fifth year, are from ten to twelve feet 



