DEER KIND. 339 



and the inhabitants live in a great measure upon 

 its flesh, which tastes like mutton when well fatted. 

 They are found also in Brasil, where they have 

 the name of Cugacu Apara, only differing from 

 ours in some slight deviations in the horns. This 

 animal is also said to be common in China; al- 

 though such as have described it seem to con- 

 found it with the musk-goat, which is of a quite 

 different nature. 



THE ELK. 



WE have hitherto been describing minute ani- 

 mals in comparison of the Elk, the size of which, 

 from concurrent testimony, appears to be equal to 

 that of the elephant itself. It is an animal rather 

 of the buck than the stag kind, as its horns are 

 flatted towards the top ; but it is far beyond both 

 in stature, some of them being known to be above 

 ten feet high. It is a native both of the old and 

 new continent, being known in Europe under the 

 name of the Elk, and in America by that of the 

 Moose-deer. It is sometimes taken in the Ger- 

 man and Russian forests, although seldom appear- 

 ing ; but it is extremely common in North Ame- 

 rica, where the natives pursue and track it in the 

 snow. The accounts of this animal are extremely 

 various ; some describing it as being no higher 

 than a horse, and others above twelve feet high. 



As the stature of this creature makes its chief 

 peculiarity, so it were to be wished that we could 



