1873.] LORD WALSINGHAM ON NORTH-AMERICAN DEER. 5G1 



1. On the Distribution of the different Species of Deer and 

 other Ruminants in Northern California and Oregon. 

 By Thomas, Lord Walsingham. 



[Keceived April 18, 1873.] 



After leaving San Francisco, as soon as the less thickly settled 

 country to the north in the direction of Mendocino County was 

 reached, Cervus columbianus (the Black-tailed Deer) was met with. 

 Throughout Sonoma, Mendocino, Colusa, Tehama, and Shasta Coun- 

 ties I observed no other species, although I have been informed that 

 in parts of the last-named county bordering on the Upper Sacra- 

 mento or Pit River Cervus leucurus (the White-tailed Deer) is not 

 uncommon. In Siskiyon County, north-east of Mount Shasta, I first 

 found Antilocapr a americana (the American Antelope) and Cervus ma- 

 crotis (the Long-eared or Mule Deer). These two animals and Cervus 

 columbianus I found sparingly represented wherever the nature of the 

 country was suitable to them, on my journey round the south and 

 east of Klamath Lake, as far as its north-eastern point. 



About the head of Pit River, and on Lost River, in the Modoc 

 country, Ovis montana (the Big-horn, our mountain-sheep) occurs ; 

 but I failed to obtain a specimen, although I saw traces of a small 

 band in the latter locality. 



After leaving Klamath Lake, as I proceeded in a northerly direc- 

 tion along the plains about Klamath Marsh, towards the head of the 

 Deschuttes river, Cervus leucurus was occasionally to be found, and 

 abundance of the Prongbuck, which seemed here to frequent the 

 edges of the timbered tracts during the day, coming out upon the 

 plains to feed. Cervus macrotis was also plentiful, but entirely con- 

 fined to the woods. 



About the sources of the Deschuttes river, on the eastern slope 

 of the Cascade range, I had good opportunities of observing the 

 habits of Cervus leucurus ; and I should mention that the specimens 

 seen there, although I failed to obtain a full-groan male, were larger 

 than those afterwards met with further north, and carried finer heads. 

 They appeared to frequent the thick willow-clumps and other brush- 

 wood bordering the streams and swamps. They were extremely 

 difficult to distinguish among the foliage, and remarkably quick when 

 alarmed. As they bound off over logs and fallen trees, or dash 

 through the thicket, they have a habit of swinging their broad white 

 tails with a conspicuous flourish, which becomes annoying to a 

 sportsman, to whom they never afford any thing but a snap shot, 

 which is very apt to fail. 



On Diamond Peak, at the summit of the Cascade range, Cervus 

 leucurus did not occur; and as the snow was just beginning there, 

 there were but few of C. macrotis and C. columbianus which had 

 not already left the thick timber and descended to lower elevations 

 in search of more genial winter-quarters. 



After leaving the Cascade range in a north-easterly direction, fol- 

 lowing the valley of the Deschuttes river, I saw no more of C. colum- 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1873, No. XXXVI. 36 



