ELK OF EUROPE AND AMERICA IDENTICAL. 65 



of proceeding by which the unsuspicious game is 

 induced to enter either of the above devices, I am 

 certain would not be interesting to a sportsman. 



For many years it was a disputed point whether the 

 moose deer of America and the elk of Europe were the 

 same species; but the most eminent of recent and 

 present authorities agree that they are identical. 

 Captain Hardy, of the Eoyal Artillery, who was 

 stationed many years in Canada, and devoted much of 

 his time to moose-hunting, as well as studying this 

 animal's habits, and who is also conversant with the 

 European elk, emphatically asserts that there are not 

 the smallest grounds for any diversity of opinion on 

 the subject. Audubon, an authority on American 

 natural history second to none, refuses to give a de- 

 cision, and justly so, for he was not conversant with 

 the European animal. 



The following adventure occurred to me while 

 sojourning in the habitat of the moose : 



For some days my fly-rod had been indefatigably 

 and most successfully at work, furnishing not only my 

 own table, but many of the neighbouring families 

 with trout, so that a change of programme was far 

 from unacceptable. One morning as I was deliber- 

 ating in which direction I would go, my host asked 

 me if I should have any objection to accompany him 

 to lift some traps he had not visited since spring. 

 The trip promised an acquaintance with a new beat, 

 and an insight into what I was not as yet conversant 

 with in this section of the American continent, viz., 

 the method followed of trapping martens. As .the sun 

 was rising over the eastern hills for these primitive 

 people are early risers we found ourselves about to 



F 



