336 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
when we consider its extraordinary constancy in all the species, 
speaks very much in favor of their common origin. In both, 
this gland is located in the same place, in both it is entirely 
covered with white hairs, which are surrounded by a tuft 
of darker hairs; this again is surrounded by a border of tawny 
color, which unites below the tuft, the tawny shade continu- 
ing down the posterior edge of the leg to the foot, and in both 
the tuft is of the same relative size. While these are so exactly 
alike on.all the individuals of both these varieties, on none of the 
other members of the genus, in this country, at least, is this gland 
overgrown with hair, a very remarkable coincidence if they are 
not relatives. 
There is a difference in the color of these animals which seems 
to have become permanent and characteristic. The general color 
of the body of the Wapiti is a yellowish gray on the back and 
sides, with a darker shade on the belly, neck, and legs. The Stag 
shows a reddish gray, instead of the yellowish gray, also with a 
darker shade below as on the American variety, but the differ- 
ence in color is no greater than on the two other species whose 
analogies we have already considered. The white border around 
the eye, a mark observed on most though not all of the deer fam- 
ily, though varying greatly in extent on different individuals, is 
still generally present on the Stag, is more faded on Wapiti, and 
on some individuals seems wanting. 
After all, the greatest distinction I have been able to discover 
is in the tail, that on the Red Deer being appreciably longer in 
proportion to the size of the animal than on our Elk, it having 
more of a rufous shade of color and terminating less abruptly, or 
being more pointed. On our EIk the tail is so short that it does 
not cover the genital organ of the female, while this is completely 
hidden on the Red Deer. Of all the differences which I have 
been able to discover between these two animals, this to me has 
seemed the most important and has made me hesitate longest in 
making up my mind as to the identity of the species. 
The difference in size of the animals, thongh very great, say 
more than one half, has-very little significance in determining 
the question. Very great differences exist among individuals on 
both sides. I have seen some Red Deer as large as some of my 
smallest Elk, although this is no doubt of rare occurrence. 
But we have still greater differences in size among some of our 
undoubted species. The average of the Virginia deer is twice as 
large in the north as when found in its most southern range, 
