306 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



this animal, by the way, is darker on the legs than usual, Elk usually 

 having the limbs much lighter than the body — nearly white, in fact. 

 But, as with so many animals, there is much variation in depth of colour 

 in this species. The Elk, wherever found, is essentially a forest animal, 

 and, its structure rendering it unsuited for grazing, it feeds on the 

 foliage and twigs of trees ; it is a very destructive animal in the forest, 

 rearing up on its hind-legs to eat off twigs growing high up, and 

 '■riding dpwn " young trees by straddling the stem and pressing' them 

 down ,£ till it can reach the crown. The | mountain-ash is a great 

 favourite with it, and where Elk are at all common this tree gets 

 fairly eaten out of the forest. 



In summer time it varies its diet with water-plants, wading in to 

 feed on the leaves of water-lilies, and plunging its head under to pull 

 up their (roots. Owing to its broad spreading hoofs, it is at home on 

 marshy ground, and is particularly fond of water, this taste being 

 not at all uncommon among the Deer family. It swims with great 

 power, and higher out of the water than other land animals. 



Its ordinary gait is a walk, and it moves through the forest very 

 skilfully, avoiding touching the twigs in a most marvellous way, con- 

 sidering its huge antlers ; it trots well and swiftly, and is very endur- 

 ing at this pace, but, like the Eland, cannot gallop for long at a time. 



This is not a gregarious animal, though at times a single family 

 may be found together. The bull has no ambition to own a harem, 

 but he mates more than once in a season, the attachment of the pair 

 being short-lived. A most keen-scented and quick-eared animal, he is 

 difficult to approach at other times, but in the breeding season in 

 autumn he loses his caution to a great degree, and becomes fearless 

 and even aggressive. 



He not only uses his horns in attack, but, like many Deer, is a 

 skilful boxer, and his terrible chopping blows with the fore-feet are 

 greatly dreaded : the cow, when with a calf, is almost equally danger- 

 ous, as she practises the same tactics. The bull is often Jured to his 

 doom at the breeding season by imitations of the roar of his mate; 

 for at this time of the year the females call as well as the males. 



