THE BLACK-TAILED DEER 77 



THE COLUMBIAN BLACK-TAILED DEER, 1 of the Pacific 

 coast, is smaller than the typical white-tailed deer and very 

 much smaller than the mule deer. The outer surface of its 

 tail is black all over, and constitutes the best distinguishing 

 characteristic of the species. The antlers are very variable. 

 Occasionally those of old bucks exhibit the double Y on each 

 beam which is so characteristic of the mule deer; but in most 

 cases the double bifurcation is wanting, and the antlers look 

 very much like those of the white-tailed deer. In its body 

 colors it resembles the latter species more closely than the 

 mule deer. 



This species inhabits the well-watered and densely shaded 

 coniferous forests of the Pacific coast from the north end of 

 Vancouver Island to central California. It feeds freely upon 

 evergreen foliage, and I have seen a captive animal, in its 

 native forest in the great natural park at Vancouver, partake 

 freely of the foliage of spruce, Douglas fir and juniper, in 

 rapid succession. 



Because of some diatetic peculiarity as yet unknown, the 

 Columbian Black-Tailed Deer is most difficult to successfully 

 acclimatize on the Atlantic coast. After persistent efforts 

 with at least fifteen specimens drawn from Oregon, Washing- 

 ton and British Columbia, and after the loss of all through 

 gastro-enteritis, the New York Zoological Society has aban- 

 doned its attempt to transplant the species on an extensive 

 scale. Nevertheless, this species has bred and reared young 

 successfully in the Zoological Park, and specimens are regu- 

 larly maintained for exhibition purposes. 



1 0-do-coil'e-us co-lum-bi-an'us. 



