THE WAPITI (Cervus canadensis) 



WAPITI when in parks are very apt to get deformed feet, that is to 

 say, the hoofs grow too long and turn up at the points ; and as this 

 deformity becomes hereditary it is very important to shoot any deer, 

 showing indications of the defect. In the English climate these 

 deer also develop lung-troubles ; and all animals showing symptoms 

 of this, by coughing, staring coats, etc., should at once be shot and 

 buried. 



Typical wapiti, however, have fewer points than red deer, while 

 the points themselves have a way of curving outwards, which, 

 although difficult to explain in writing, is very characteristic and 

 at once recognized as distinct from those of red deer, also the 

 upper points often are in the same plane fore and aft instead of 

 coming out laterally, but I find a marked tendency for the horns 

 to get more like red deer, after a few generations bred in England. 



If the wapiti is wanted for crossing with the red deer it is im- 

 portant to choose a " bull," as the stags are called, whose head 

 approaches most nearly to the red deer type. I have been fortunate 

 enough to get such a bull, and the head of a four-year-old cross 

 between this wapiti and a red deer hind (shown on page 34) would be 

 difficult to distinguish from a very fine pure-bred red deer head. 



On page 104 I give a photograph of a three-year-old stag which 

 has red deer, wapiti, and Altai blood ; this animal being by an Altai 

 stag, out of a cross-bred wapiti and red deer hind. This stag and a 



