Fes., 1912. Mammats or ILztinois anD WISCONSIN — Cory. 69 
Description — Adult male: Legs very large, much larger than a Virginia 
Deer; antlers usually more than 40 inches long, turned backward and 
tines or branches extending from front side of antler; general body 
color pale tawny brown; head, neck and chest dark brown; legs 
clove brown; a noticeably large yellowish white patch on rump, 
surrounding the tail; young with white spots. 
Measurements — Adults: Length, about 7% to 8 feet; height at 
shoulder, 41% to 534 feet; average weight, 500 to 600 lbs. 
For many years the Elk has been extinct in Illinois and Wisconsin. 
Only a few antlers, which are occasionally found, remain to mark the 
presence within our limits of this noble representative of the Deer 
family which was at one time so abundant. 
Elk antlers may readily be distinguished from those of our Deer by 
the following characters: 
Elk antlers (adult) — Size large, more than 35 inches long, turned 
backward, with tines or branches extending from front side of 
antler; basal tines present and extending over forehead. 
Deer antlers (adult) — Size medium, less than 30 inches long, ter- 
minal half curved forward, the tines or branches extending from 
back side of the antler. 
American Elk. Virginia Deer. 
In the early part of the last century Elk or Wapiti* were common as 
far east as Virginia and New York, but the march of civilization drove 
them further and further west with constantly decreasing numbers. 
Audubon states that there were still a few left in the mountains of 
northwestern Pennsylvania as late as 1835, and they were known to 
exist in western Virginia in 1847. They disappeared in New York at 
even an earlier date, the latest record being given by Dr. De Kay, who 
* Barton states that Wapiti is the name by which this animal was known to the 
Shawnee Indians (Phila. Med. & Phys. Journ., March, 1806, p. 37). 
