THE GAME ANIMALS OF CANADA 



27 



member of the deer family in North America. But the 

 histories of all the largest and most interesting members of 

 cm- wild hfe are depressingly similar, and all have suffered 

 the inevitable result of territorial development and man's 

 improvident greed for slaughter. Thousands of these splen- 





ft 



Fig. I.— elk-horn PYRAMID 



Such pyramids used to be found in the great plains, indicating the former 



abundance of the Wapiti 



{After Baird) 



did animals have been slain merely for the sake of their 

 teeth. No condemnation of this iniquitous practice can 

 be too strong, and every possible means should be taken to 

 put an end to the practice of dealing in and wearing elk 

 'Husks," in view of the barbarous significance of such use- 

 less emblems. The result is that to-day the abundance of 

 the wapiti is but one-twentieth of what it was formerly, 

 according to Hornaday. The latest estimate of their num- 

 bers over the whole of their present restricted range in 



