3n (^e 13)mitx ^nouo0 



additional snow is in turn trampled to sustain- 

 ing compactness. 



At first the low-growing herbage is eaten; 

 but when this is buried, and the animals are 

 raised up by added snow, they feed upon shrubs ; 

 then on the willow or the birch tops, and some- 

 times on limbs well up in the trees, which the 

 platform of deeply accumulated snow enables 

 them to reach. Commonly moose stay all win- 

 ter in one yard. Sometimes the giving-out of 

 the food-supply may drive them forth. Then 

 they try to reach another yard. But deep snow 

 or wolves may overcome one or all on the way. 



During one snowshoe trip through western 

 Colorado I visited seven deer-yards. One of 

 these had been attacked by wolves but prob- 

 ably without result. Apparently five of the 

 others had not as yet been visited by deadly 

 enemies. The seventh and most interesting 

 yard was situated in a deep gorge amid rugged 

 mountains. It was long and narrow, and in it 

 the deer had fed upon withered grass, plant 

 stalks, and willow twigs. All around the un- 

 drifted snow lay deep. The limbless bases of 



263 



