276 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



fornia to (formerly) about San Francisco Bay. Eastward in 

 California the range included Mount Shasta. Altitudinally 

 the area inhabited extended in California to about 7,000 feet 

 (Grinnell). On Vancouver Island, its northward limit, it was, 

 according to Swarth (1912), formerly abundant everywhere 

 in the forests, decreasing in numbers southward to within 30 

 miles of Victoria. "They keep well back from the settled 

 districts and are quite scarce near the east coast and the ad- 

 jacent woods. They are most abundant in the north end of the 

 island, particularly in the northwestern section and the vicinity 

 of Kuyuquot Sound . . . The wapiti are seldom hunted 

 by the Indians, who prefer the more easy task of killing deer on 

 the beaches." In the interior of Vancouver Island the wapiti are 

 still fairly safe, since the forests are relatively unexplored and 

 the animals are little disturbed (Sheldon, 1912). The Govern- 

 ment took active steps to stop the killing of these wapiti for 

 their canine teeth when, about 30 years ago, they were in 

 active demand. Dr. I. M. Cowan, in 1937, told Dr. Francis 

 Harper that there were supposed to be only about 700 elk left 

 on Vancouver, this decimation being due in part to the ravages 

 of wolves and cougars, but possibly also to disease that may 

 have come among them, as in the Rocky Mountains. 



This elk is not found on the mainland of British Columbia 

 opposite Vancouver but appears again across the Strait of 

 San Juan de Fuca in the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula 

 and in scattered bands in the coast ranges of Washington and 

 southward. Not many years ago its numbers seemed to have 

 reached a low level in this State. Taylor and Shaw, in 1929, 

 reported that in addition to the small groups found south to 

 Pacific County, a small herd was said to be living on the head- 

 waters of the Cispus River, south of Mount Rainier. It was 

 at one time feared that this remnant might be even further 

 reduced, but recent reports indicate that it is at present 

 thriving under protection and is in no present danger. It 

 should be borne in mind, however, that according to these 

 authors Rocky Mountain elk have been introduced into several 

 counties of Washington: Stevens, Garfield, and Walla Walla 

 in the eastern part and Skagit, Snohomish, King, and Yakima 

 in the central part. It is believed that in former times the 

 ranges of these two forms did not overlap in the Northwest. 



In Oregon the status of this deer has been summarized by 



