COAT AND COLOR. 137 
reflecting the sun’s rays, like that of a well-groomed horse. His 
prevailing color if in his prime is jet black, with beautiful golden 
brown legs and flanks pale fawn.”’! 
Dr. Gilpin, in describing the color in September, of a male 
three years and four months old, says: ‘The color of this bull 
was in the highest summer coating of deep glossy black and short 
as a well-groomed horse. The muffle and forehead had a brownish 
yellow cast, the cheeks and neck dark black; the ears were light 
fawn inside, a little darker outside; the crest yellowish, mixed 
gray and white, and a yellow gray patch upon the croup. The 
inside of the buttock and all the legs both inside and outside 
were bright yellow fawn, the black of the body running down 
half way to the hocks and to the knees, and ending with an ab- 
rupt line in a point. There was also a black line running from 
each hock and each knee in front and widening to join the hoof. 
This line has heretofore escaped observers.” 
Audubon and Bachman, in closing their description of the 
color of the Moose, say: “‘ The young animals, for the first winter, 
are of a reddish brown color; individuals even of the same age 
often differ in color, some being darker than others, but there is 
always a striking difference between the summer and winter 
colors, the hairs in winter becoming darker; as the Moose ad- 
vances in age, the color continues to deepen, until it appears 
black; thence it was named by Hamilton Smith, not inappro- 
priately as regards color, ‘the American Black Elk.’”” Here are 
some errors that require correction. While the winter coat is 
darker than the summer coat the striking contrast is in Septem- 
ber, when the winter coat first appears. From that time onward, 
it grows lighter continually. It is manifest, however, that they 
did not mistake the new winter coat for the summer coat, as very 
often occurs, but they clearly recognized the two pelages in each 
year, in the Moose, as occurs with all the other deer, which, 
however, has been rarely noticed or appreciated by those most 
familiar with the animal. How they fell into the error of stating 
that the color of the Moose deepens as it advances in age until it 
finally appears black, it is not easy to explain. AIl most familiar 
with the animal, agree that after the first year, the winter coat 
is blackest, and that after full maturity it sensibly grows lighter 
with advancing age. Captain Hardy says: ‘In old bulls of the 
American variety the coat is inclined to assume a grizzly hue.” 
Mr. Morrow writes me, quoting from a friend who often ac- 
1 Forest Life in Acadie, p. 66. 
