NORTH AMERICAN DEER. 849 



Like other Deer, the horns of the males get inter- 

 locked when fighting. 



Albinos, or rather almost pure white varieties of this 

 Deer, are sometimes met with. 



BLACK- TAILED OK MULE DEEE. 

 Cariacus macrotis. 



The Mule Deer has been so called from the great 

 length of its ears. It inhabits Montana, the Western 

 Coast of North America, and parts of Canada. 



This species is rather larger than the White-tailed 

 Deer. The general colour is reddish-brown. The tail 

 is black and bushy. The horns are small ; they curve 

 forward and branch into four or five points on each 

 antler. The value of a^pair of horns varies from 3s. 6d. 

 to 12s. 6d., and rises even to 25s. when in great 

 demand. 



Mule Deer bucks may be shot from July 1st to 

 November 1st (Field). 



The Black-tailed is more numerous than the 

 Virginian Deer, and a few thousand skins are imported 

 by the Hudson's Bay Company. These skins are used 

 extensively for leather, and are now chiefly bought by 

 German leather traders for export to the Continent. 

 In 1784, 227,000 Deer skins were imported, but these 

 included Virginian and other Deer. 



