134 ZOOLOGY. 



Elk are found in the Rocky, Cascade, and Coast ranges of mountains. They are, perhaps, 

 most abundant on the last mentioned chain throughout its whole course through Oregon and 

 Washington Territories. In the latter they are especially abundant on the headwaters of the 

 branches of the Chehalis river, and also upon the northern slope of the Coast range, back of 

 Port Discovery and Sekwim bay. Near the last locality they are very abundant during the 

 winter, being driven down by the snows on the mountains. They run in large droves, following 

 well beaten trails, and at that season are an easy prey to the hunter. In January, 1857, two 

 men in the vicinity of Sekwim bay killed eleven fine elk in one day. I obtained but one skin 

 during my stay in the Territory. This was found at an Indian lodge, at the mouth of the 

 Lummi river, a few miles from the coal mines on Bellingham bay. The skin is now in the 

 Smithsonian collection, but I fear is in too imperfect a condition to admit of accurate comparison 

 with others from the east side of the Rocky mountains. Elk are abundant in certain sections 

 of California, and I myself saw a very handsome pair of half grown individuals exhibited alive 

 in a menagerie at San Francisco. They were a handsome symmetrical pair of beasts, of a cream 

 or light fawn color, and were quite tame and in good order, apparently bearing their confine- 

 ment well. Elk were killed by our men in Minnesota as far west as the Red River of the 

 North. They were then not seen until Ave reached the Missouri, but became quite plentiful as 

 we approached the Rocky mountains, frequentlj^ going in large bands. — S. 



CERVUS VIRGINIANUS, Boddaert. 



Vii^inia Deer. 



Baird, Gen. Eep. Mammals, p. 643. 



Among a number of deer skins from Fort Steilacoom, sent by me to the Smithsonian collection, 

 were several apparently belonging to this species. I regret that their imperfect condition 

 precluded absolute determination. — S. 



(See notes on next species.) 



CERVUS LEUCURUS, Douglas. 



White-tailed Deer. 



Cenms leucurus, Douglas, Zool. Jour. IV, Jan. 1829, 330. 



Richardson, F. Bor. Am. I, 1829, 258. 



AuD. & Bach. N. Am. Quad. Ill, 1853, 77 ; plate cxviii. 



Baird, Gen. Rep. Mammals, 1857, 649. 

 Long-tailed red deer, Lewis & Clark. 



Sp. Cii. — Horns and gland of the hind legs as in C virginianus ; tail appreciably longer ; hoofs long and narrow ; fur 

 compact. General color above, in autumn, yellowish gray, clouded and waved, but not lined with dusky. Chin entirely 

 white, with only a small dusky spot on the edge of the lip. Ears gray, with a basal white spot behind. Anal region and 

 under surface of the tail, but not the buttocks, white. Tail reddish above, without exhibiting any dusky. 



The white-tailed deer is well known to the Indians near Fort Steilacoom; at least they 

 describe a deer not the C. columhianus, which they call sJcehgrouts. Another species, not the 

 hlack-tailed, is known as the long-tailed deer, and is called spt-ho-hsli. The latter, they saj^, 

 inhabits the small groves and the shrubby borders of the lakes on the prairies of that vicinity. 

 About these distinctions in species they are positive. Perhaps one may be the red deer, (C. 

 virginianus,) of which Professor Baird seems to think there are indications among the skins in 

 my collection. A pair of horns, apparently belonging to the C. leucurus, Dough, were obtained 

 by me at Whidby's island, Puget Sound. — S. 



