HABIT AND DOMESTICATION. 295 
viously produced fawns. It was now evident that his day of use- 
fulness was passed, and he was translated to a very respectable 
position under Professor Esmark, as stated above. He was suc- 
ceeded by a buck not more than a year younger, who lost, and 
then regained, his sway during the season. The result was that 
I had twelvé fawns the next season, including one pair of twins, 
which are rare from the Elk in domestication. Such is the 
character of the evidence which induces the conclusion at which 
I have arrived as to the diminished reproductive powers of the 
Elk in semi-domestication. The disinclination of the female, 
especially the young, may be partly owing to the limited selec- 
tion of food, or want of proper aliment ; but as she keeps in per- 
fect health, and in fine condition, it can hardly be attributed to 
this entirely. After all, I think the partial restraint to which 
they are subjected, which is so unnatural to them, their ancestors 
for untold generations having had unlimited range to go when 
and where they pleased, and to select such associates as they 
pleased, is the greatest cause of the disinclination of the females 
to reproduce, and no doubt has its influence upon the fertility 
of the male. In the wild state the female is believed to breed at 
two, or at most three, years old, the young females producing one 
fawn at a birth, and the old ones generally twins, and three are 
sometimes produced at a birth. The fact that in my grounds the 
females, never, to my knowledge, have bred before four years old, 
and never, I think, more than two thirds of these have bred in 
any one year, and that twins are of very rare occurrence, certainly 
shows a sad degeneracy. The last summer I saw three great fel- 
lows sucking a large doe at one time, and she bore their rough 
treatment with maternal resignation; but I suspect that one of 
them, at least, was a poacher on the others’ preserves. Remember 
that all the deer tribe have four active mamma. No doubt long 
domestication of Wapiti would produce such a change’in the con- 
stitution of the race that it would so conform itself to the changed 
condition that its reproductive powers would be practically re- 
stored. 
I have never experimented with this deer as a beast of draught, 
which, after all, as a question of practical utility, is one of great 
importance. I have a pair of castrated fawns now in the stable, 
which promise good results. I have seen them a few times in 
harness, but always too young to work. I once bought a pair of 
yearling does in harness, but they were only partially broken, and 
were overloaded with a light buggy and man in it, and so would 
