82 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
high. All these small specimens are now eliminated from my 
herd, while the impress of that first large buck is very percep- 
tible on my stock. JI think six hundred pounds will exceed the 
average live weight of the full grown buck. 
The Elk is taller and shorter in proportion to his weight, than 
either the ox or the horse. It is to be regretted that I neglected 
to take the measurements of the large specimen of which I have 
spoken ; but the trath is, I did not understand the importance of 
the subject then as I do now, nor did I then feel the scientific in- 
terest in it which I now feel. Our Elk has a small, well-formed 
head, which is very broad between the eyes, which are rather 
prominent and brilliant. The nose is small and naked. The 
lachrymal opening is large, and is situate immediately below the 
inner corner of the eye, and is surrounded by a naked border. 
It has a large, coarse ear. The antlers are cylindrical, with 
anterior tines, which are long, slender, and graceful. The neck 
is rather short. The body is round. It has a very short tail. 
The legs are long, clean, and flat. The fore legs are straight, 
the hind legs rather crooked. The feet are small. 
The shades of color differ considerably on different individuals. 
In general it may be said that the head is a chestnut brown; 
neck dark brown ; sides, back, and thighs, yellowish gray ; under 
the belly black; legs, clove brown. On the rump is a white 
patch which extends down on either side of the tail and unites 
with the white below between the legs. The lower part of the 
white patch has a black border on either side. 
The metatarsal gland is present, but is overgrown with hairs; 
the tarsal gland is entirely wanting, in which it differs from all 
the other species of this genus, in this country, though there are 
some in Europe and in India, in which this gland is also want- 
ing. 
The Elk has a very thick skin, which affords a great protection 
against violence. He minds but little a blow from a club, ora 
whip, or a stone. It takes a hard thrust even with a hay-fork, 
to make him mind it much unless a very vulnerable point is 
reached, as close back of the fore leg. 
The hairs of the summer coat and of the early winter coat are 
short and pretty solid, but as the season advances, on the body, 
thighs, and neck the hairs grow longer, and in diameter and the 
cavity within, are much enlarged; they become crinkled and 
more fragile, but never as brittle as on some of the other species. 
In winter, a heavy undercoat of fur is always present. 
