COAT AND COLOR. 133 
On all these species also, just anterior to the angle of the mouth 
on the lower side, occurs another black section, which in a large 
majority of cases resolves itself into a black band- embracing the 
lower jaw just behind the chin, though sometimes this band is 
broken on the under side, and sometimes it widens there, so as to 
cover the posterior part of the chin. I have studied this long 
and carefully to find some distinguishing characteristic as appli- 
cable to each species, but without very satisfactory results. The 
most I will venture to say is, that I am inclined to think that 
the black is not so deep and is rather less in extent on the mule 
deer than on the others, but on all the species it varies very 
much in individuals, both in extent and in depth of coloring. Its 
great value is that it is always found in each individual in all the 
species of this division of the family, while it is wanting on all 
the others. On all, the anterior part of the chin is always white, 
and so it is of a lighter shade on the elk and the caribou, but 
on the moose it is the blackest part of the head. 
On the Moose, even when in his blackest dress, the forehead is 
a dark chestnut color, while the face is nearly black below the 
eyes, and the lower part near the muffle is reddish gray. The 
rest of the head is black. 
On the Caribou the face and indeed the entire head is brown, 
with a reddish tinge, and is the darkest part of the animal, ex- 
cept the legs. : 
There is on all the species, except the moose and the caribou, 
a light colored band surrounding the eyes. This varies consider- 
ably in individuals, but it is always present in all; sometimes, 
indeed, it is hardly perceptible above the eye, while on others it 
is there the most conspicuous, but this variation is among the 
individuals and not among the’species, unless it may be less pro- 
nounced on the smallest — the Acapulco deer, but the number of 
specimens of this which I have examined is too limited to enable 
me to affirm that it is so. Its entire absence on the moose and 
the caribou, and universal presence on all the others, is worthy 
of particular remark. 
The face of the Elk is a uniform russet brown from the antlers 
to the end of the nose, except the white band which surrounds 
the eye. 
There is no white under the head of our Elk, in which it re- 
sembles the other two large species, and differs from all the 
smaller species. 
The forehead of the Mule and the Columbia deer is either 
