256 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
he cites a number of other species from other countries possessing 
the same peculiarity. 
The first and the only mention I find of this interesting fact, 
as connected with our Elk, is by Professor Baird in his descrip- 
tion of the quadrupeds in Pacifie Railroad Reports, but the hesi- 
tancy with which he mentions it shows how remarkable he con- 
sidered it, and that he thought it possible that the specimen 
which he examined might be exceptional in this regard. It is 
also wanting on the red deer of Europe. 
The metatarsal gland on the outside of the hind leg of the 
Wapiti, and so of the red deer, is conspicuously present, though 
we may with propriety say that it is.more obliterated than on the 
others which still retain it. On this animal alone this gland is 
entirely overgrown with hairs. It is situated on the outside, near 
the back edge, and about two inches below the upper end of the 
cannon bone, and is covered with a tuft of long white hairs, on 
the outside of which there is a border of long colored hairs (see 
Fig. 6, p. 258). The tuft is ovate in shape, is from three to four 
inches long, and is one inch and six lines broad. The space occu- 
pied by the white hairs is about one inch and six lines long, and 
less than one inch broad. These white hairs are frequently con- 
cealed by longer surrounding hairs overlaying them, and some- 
times the white hairs are much longer than the others, and become 
quite conspicuous, and extend themselves posteriorly as if they 
would embrace the back edge of the leg. When the surrounding 
hairs are the longest, and overlay the white, they unite in a seam 
which has a descending posterior direction. Surrounding the long 
colored hairs is a border of short cinnamon-colored hairs. This 
border of short hairs is of a much lighter color than those on ‘the 
leg beyond it, and is about half an inch broad. From the bot- 
tom of the tuft descends a stripe of the same rufous color, nine 
lines broad, down the posterior edge of the leg to between the 
small hind toes or accessory hoofs. The structure of the gland 
beneath is much like that of the tarsal gland on the other mem- 
bers of this family. This metatarsal gland has almost become 
inactive on Wapiti, and presents a massive spongy appearance, 
making the skin appear much thicker there than on the surround- 
ing parts; or perhaps it has not yet attained that vitality and 
activity which enables it to obliterate the hairs which cover it, as 
is observed on the other species where it is present. 
In this connection it is interesting to repeat, that no remnant 
or rudiment of this metatarsal gland is found on the two other 
