146 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



dirty white diu-ing the winter, but these shades of color differ 

 very much in individuals, while it is dependent on neither age or 

 sex. On the body the does are as dark as the bucks at all sea- 

 sons. I have sometimes thought I could detect a darker shade 

 on the adults than on the young animals, and the next time I 

 would examine the herd with a view to this very point I would 

 find myself obliged to abandon the distinctions. It is only on the 

 dark portions, as the head, neck, belly, and legs, that the adult 

 males are blacker than the females and the young in the early 

 winter dress, but as before stated this distinction quite disappears 

 by spring, except that on the mane of the adult, which may be 

 nearly a foot in length, hanging from the lower side of the neck, 

 for its whole length there is a black stripe two or more inches 

 wide, about two inches from its lower border. These two inches 

 of the lower ends of the hairs of this mane are a russet-brown, and 

 such is the color also above the black stripe, passing quite over the 

 neck to the black stripe on the other side. For a month befoi-e 

 the shedding of the coat commences, this black stripe on either side 

 of the mane becomes quite conspicuous, from the lighter shade to 

 which the balance of the mane has faded. I have noticed that 

 this prominent black mark is more conspicuous some seasons than 

 others. 



Audubon and Bachman have seen young elk, on which the 

 white patch of the rump appeared to be wanting till they were 

 one or two years old. I have constantly looked for such speci- 

 mens, but have failed to find one on which this mark was not 

 conspicuous, as far off as the colors of the animal could be dis- 

 tinguished, and I have been unable to detect any substantial 

 difference in this regard between those of different ages. 



Our Elk, this Wapiti deer, is the only American species on 

 which this white patch above the tail distinctly appears, and is 

 well defined ; and the European stag or red deer (C. elaphis'), is 

 the only European species, so far as I know, in which it is dis- 

 tinctly defined as it is on the Wapiti, and on that it is less con- 

 spicuous and more variable. We have several other ruminants 

 in which this distinguishing mark is equally conspicuous, notable 

 among which are our antelope (^Antilocapra Americana)., already , 

 treated of, and our Rocky Mountain sheep, or the Big Horn 

 (^Ovis montani). 



Of the fugitive white colorings or spots which frequently ap-] 

 pear on the adult female Elk, I shall pi'esently speak. 



I have already spoken of the deep black color in which the 



