THE LAURENTIDES PAEK 



V 



luncheon, it were well to leave the sub- 

 ject rather than pursue it to what must 

 be anti-climax. 



Some years ago the government con- 

 veyed a small herd of wapiti to a suit- 

 able place, and there released them. Be- 

 ing strong, healthy creatures it was sup- 

 posed that they would readily adapt 

 themselves to their environment, and 

 would be an interesting addition to the 

 fauna of the Park, but the experiment 

 wholly failed, as these superb deer, bred 

 in captivity, refused to become wild 

 again or to do for themselves. After a 

 year in the woods they showed no fear 

 of man, but only a certain graceful tim- 

 idity which did not prevent them from 

 taking food out of the hand. During 

 the summer they prospered and grew 

 fat, but in winter they were very help- 

 less, and would have starved had they 

 not been supplied with fodder. Wander- 

 ing at length out to the settlements, they 

 did such damage to crops that the finest 



138 



