82 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ern United States except in northern Maine, but is still found in the 

 adjoining British provinces. 



Genus Cervus Linnaeus 

 1758 Cervus Linnaeus, Systema naturae. 1, ed. 10. 1:66. Type Cer- 

 vus elaphus Linnaeus. 

 Horns large, curved mostly backward, the tines all directed forward; first 

 tine immediately above base ; hoofs broad, tail short. (C 6r vu s ; Lat., a deer) 



The genus Cervus is confined to the temperate parts of the north- 

 ern hemisphere. About half a dozen species are known, mostly pecuHar 

 to the old world. Two are now recognized as occurring in America ; 

 one of these has only recently been exterminated within our limits. 



Cervus canadensis (Erxleben) ^as^ American wapiti 

 1117 [Cervus elapbus] canadensis Erxleben, Syst. regn. anim. 



1 : 305. (Eastern Canada) 

 1822 Cervus canadensis Desmarest, Mam-nalgie. 2 : 433. 

 1898 Cervus canadensis Lydekker, The deer of all lands, p. 94. 



Reddish brown, paler in winter; hight at shoulder, 1530 (5 ft); horns 1530 

 (5 ft) in length, 200 (8) in circumference above basal tine, (canadensis; N. 

 Lat., Canadian) 



The east American wapiti is now extinct in the eastern United 

 States and eastern Canada,^ where, however, its antlers are often found 

 in bogs and stream beds. 



Genus Odocoileus Rafinesque 

 1832 Odocoileus Rafinesque, Atlantic journal. 1: 109. Type Odocdileus 

 s p e 1 e u s Rafinesque. 



Horns small, curved forward, the tines all directed upward ; first tine some 

 distance above base; hoofs narrow; tail rather long. (Odocoileus; Gk., 

 tooth cave, Rafinesque's specimen having come from a cavern deposit) 



The genus Odocoileus (often known as Cariacus or Dorce- 

 laphus) numerous members of which occur in the western United 

 States as well as in Mexico and South America, is represented within 

 our limits by one species only. 



Odocoileus americanus (Erxleben) Virginia deer 



General color in summer uniform reddish, in winter usually grayer and faintly 

 speckled; belly, inner side of legs, and under side of tail white, (ameri- 

 canus; N. Lat., American) 



The Virginia deer occurs in all sufficiently extensive tracts of forest 

 throughout eastern North America from the south Atlantic states to the 

 warmer parts of the Canadian zone. It is divisible into two well marked 

 subspecies. 



1 It Is possible that the animal still occurs In Quebec. 



