44 THE CARJACOU. 



and not mortally wounded, the wapiti will turn upon him 

 desperately, and fight to the "bitter end." 



Like the moose, he s^vims well, and is fond of the water. 

 He feeds upon lichens, young shoots of trees, wild vines, 

 and various grasses. His cry is very peculiar, something 

 like the shrill sound of a railway whistle, and audible at 

 the distance of a mile. His flesh is well-flavoured and 

 nutritious ; and his skin is much used in the manufacture 

 of belts, thongs, and moccasins. The teeth are worn by 

 the Indians as a personal decoration. 



One of the most elegant of the Cervine family is the 

 pretty Garjacou or Virginian Deer. 



He is so timid that he will take flight at the appear- 

 ance of a child ; yet so attached to his favourite haunts, 

 that no amount of persecution can drive him from them. 

 If forced to fly one day, he returns to them the next. Like 

 most of his congeners, he swims with great ease; and 

 takes to the Avater, in warm weather, to disembarrass 

 himself of his insect-plagues. Audubon relates the fol- 

 lowing anecdote : — 



"We recollect an occasion when, on sitting down to 

 rest on the margin of the Santee river, we observed a pair 

 of antlers on the surface of the water, near an old tree, 

 not ten steps from us. Tlie half-closed eye of the buck 

 was upon us ; Ave were Avithout a gun, and he Avas there- 

 fore safe from any injury Ave could inflict upon him. 

 Anxious to observe the cumiing he Avould display, we 

 turned our eyes another way and commenced a careless 

 whistle, as if for our OAvn amusement, Avalking gradually 



