78 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



Red Deer Umfreville, Huds. Bay, 163, 1790. 



Hudson Bay Traders (Richard- 

 son) . 

 Stag Pennant, Arct. Zool., I. 27. 



Ibid., Hist. Quad., No. 45. 



The Wapiti Smith, Griffith's An. King., IV. 96. 



Wapiti Barton, Med. and Phys. Journ., III. 



36. 



Warden, U. S., I. 241. 

 Wewaskiss Hearne, Journ., 360. 



Larger than any known deer except Cerviis alces. Head slim and finely 

 formed. Muffle partly naked. Eyes medium size and moderately prom- 

 inent. Antlers solid, cylindrical, with many anterior tines, large, ex- 

 panding, retreating, deciduous. Ears large and coarse. Lachrymal sinus 

 large and naked. Neck rather short and elevated. Body round and 

 rather short, hips sloping. Tail very short. Legs well formed and stout, 

 but not fleshy. Metatarsal gland high up. Tarsal gland wanting. Body 

 yellowish brown. Belly black. Neck brown to black. Legs chestnut 

 brown. Rump and buttock white. Hoofs tawny brown. Antlers only 

 on the males. Interdigital glands wanting on all the feet. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



For more than fifteen years I have kept our Elk in domestica- 

 tion. In all I have had more than one hundred individuals, all 

 of which, except twelve, were dropped in my grounds. I have 

 had as many as fifty-four at one time, and now have between 

 forty and fifty ; and have devoted much time to their study. I 

 have hunted and studied them in their wild state, and I have 

 corresponded and conversed very extensively with those who 

 have observed their habits in their native range. I must claim, 

 therefore, that I have had excellent facilities for learning their 

 natural history, and if I have not profited by these it is because 

 I am incapable of doing so. 



HABITAT. 



But few quadrupeds in our country have occupied a wider 

 range than the American Elk. He was found in evei'y part of 

 the present United States and in northern Mexico ; and was 

 abundant in both Upper and Lower Canada, and in Labrador. 

 In the interior, he was found as far north as the fifty-sixth or 

 fifty-seventh degree of north latitude ; but I cannot find any 

 evidence that he ever went so far north on either coast. 



Our Elk preferred the woodlands or the mountains, and only 

 inhabited the prairies in limited numbers. Like the bison they 



