COAT AND COLOR. 135 
coarse stiff hairs, but the white is much more extended. Instead 
of being confined to a narrow band surrounding the hoofs, while 
the leg is of a nut-brown shade, the whole foot and leg are white, 
except a tawny brown stripe extending down the front of each 
leg, with white hairs interspersed, diminishing in extent as it 
proceeds downward, till it terminates in front of the accessory 
hoofs. At least this is the case with those in my collection, and 
I learn that mine are not'peculiar in this regard. The difference 
in the color of the legs of the two species of reindeer, when placed 
side by side, is very striking. But this greater extent of white on 
the northern species is in harmony with a law already referred to. 
In a great majority of cases, more or less white is found about 
the hoofs of the Virginia Deer, but rarely to the extent of that 
which is uniformly found about the foot of the Caribou, so that it 
must be considered a fugitive and not a permanent mark of the 
species. If present, this white is sure to be seen between the 
toes, and sometimes it is limited to that region. Usually this 
white mark extends in a narrow line up the front of the leg to 
opposite the accessory hoofs. The white also frequently shows 
itself around the upper part of the hoofs, perhaps only for a short 
distance, and sometimes, though rarely, quite around both. Some- 
times these white markings appear on one or more of the feet, 
and sometimes on all. On some, no white ever appears around 
the feet. This white is very pure, not a colored hair being found 
intermixed with it. Above, the ley is of the rufous shade, vary- 
ing very greatly in intensity, from the color prevailing on the body 
to almost pure white. I have in my collection a specimen, the 
legs of which are almost entirely of a yellowish white, only a line 
down the anterior edge of the leg has tawny red hairs inter- 
mixed with the white, imparting a sandy shade. The tuft over 
the metatarsal gland is a purer white than on the rest of the leg 
of this deer, but the difference is scarcely perceptible. I remark 
the exceptional feature, that the hairs composing the tuft over 
the tarsal gland are for their whole length a tawny yellow, con- 
trasting strongly with the white, clothing the balance of the leg 
inside and outside. This specimen is from the Rocky Mountains, 
where it is called the white-tailed deer, or, further north, the long- 
tailed deer, or Cervus leuwcwrus of some authors ; and yet the tail, 
although there is no black upon it, cannot be distinguished, either 
in length, form, or color, from many living specimens in my 
grounds. I have in another place assigned the reasons why we 
must class this with the Virginia deer, and it is scarcely entitled 
