290 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



sometimes so continuous as to disturb the rest of tlie keeper's 

 family, whose house is little more than a quarter of a mile from 

 the Elk Park. This note of rage is sometimes really appalling, 

 and, when the animal is half a mile away, sounds as if it were 

 right under the window. In the height of the season these revels 

 seem to be kept up nearly the whole night, during which the rev- 

 elers give the master no peace of his life. Why do not two or 

 more form an alliance and attack and whip the master ? But 

 their philosophy does not reach to that extent, and it is well or- 

 dered that it should not, for should one attack him with vigor 

 while lie is engaged with another he would be surely killed at 

 the first charge, and if such a system were followed up the bucks 

 would soon be reduced to two ; so we see it is better as it is. Ex- 

 cept during the rutting season, in my grounds at least, the Elk 

 can hardly be considered a nocturnal animal, though in the wild 

 state, and when surrounded by dangerous enemies, he will seek 

 his food at night and ruminate in some secret place during the 

 day. 



I never see the bucks chasing the does at speed during the 

 rutting season, as is the constant habit with the common deer, for, 

 after all, they seem less importunate, and so the does are not 

 driven to shun the society of the males before their proper time 

 aiTives, which is not till some time after the bucks become very 

 ardent. If the female Elk desires to get away from the control 

 of the master she slips off quietly while his attention is engaged 

 in another direction, when she generally resorts to the band of 

 younger bucks, who seem to pay scarcely more attention to her 

 than to each other. 



This continual excitement and activity reduces the flesh of the 

 old buck so that he always commences the winter poorer than 

 any of the others, although at the first of September he was 

 fully up to the average in condition, as round and sleek as one 

 could wish. During the rut, and while supreme, he is rarely 

 seen to feed, but seems to live in a round of excitement and rage. 

 He loses flesh pretty rapidly, looks hollow and gaunt, the fii'e of 

 his eye only testifying to his continued vigor, or rather energy, 

 for he maintains his sway for a considerable time by his un- 

 daunted mien, after his actual strength no longer entitles him 

 to the mastery. In this condition he is sometimes attacked by 

 another buck nearly equal to him at the best, and is driven from 

 the harem with contumely, and sullenly takes his place on the 

 outside among the young bucks, when the new sovereign lords it 



1 



