THE TAIL. 241 
mal is standing deliberating whether to run or not; and so it is 
when the deer approaches an object in a direatenine way. When 
it runs away in fright, it generally raises the tail to a vertical 
_ position, the hairs still spread out so as to much enlarge its ap- 
pearance. This, however, is by no means universally the case. 
They frequently run at full speed with the tail as much depressed 
as when quietly standing. I have often observed a lot of a dozen 
or twenty when alarmed, running from one part of the park to 
another to escape a supposed danger, and usually have seen 
one, or perhaps several, with the tails depressed. Indeed, a larger 
proportion will have the flag elevated when running at a mod- 
erate speed than when apparently doing their best. 
When a Virginia Deer is wounded, he almost invariably drops 
his tail and runs with it pendent, or if much hurt, he will lash it 
from side to side, and by this, more than any other indication, the 
hunter determines the extent of the injury inflicted by his shot. 
As the tail of the Virginia Deer is longer than that of any of the 
others, so it is more used or is more frequently in motion, but 
with all this the hairs are never perceptibly worn off as on the 
tail of the mule deer. All the hairs on the tail are much more 
solid, elastic, and enduring, than on the body. 
No matter what the size or color of the tail of this deer, its 
flattened and lanceolate form and white borders will always de- 
clare its identity to even an indifferent observer. 
As I have said, the tail of the Virginia Deer is flat and taper- 
ing toa point. The anterior part is twice as wide as it is thick. 
The white at the under side and the borders occupies fully two 
thirds of the circumference of the tail. 
The tail of the Acapulco Deer more resembles that of the Vir- 
ginia deer than any of the others; yet it has its distinctive char- 
acteristics. While it is considerably flattened, it is not as much 
so as on the common deer, yet much more so than on any of 
the others. By reference to the illustration it will be seen that 
it does not taper regularly from the root to the point, but nearly 
maintains its width till near the end and then tapers rapidly to a 
much more blunt point. 
The under side is pure white, but this does not extend around 
the sides or edges so it can be seen from a posterior view as on 
the common deer when the position of the tail is depressed, but 
only the colored portion which pervades the top of the tail is 
seen, 
16 
