NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 57 



NORTH AMERICAN DEER. 

 Elk, Mule Deer, White-Tail, Caribou and Moose. 



The American members of the Deer Family will be found 

 in the ranges situated on the hill west of the Wild-Fowl 

 Pond, stretching from the Llama House northward to the 

 Service Road. 



After several years of experiments, we must admit that to 

 all the American members of the Deer Family save the wapiti 

 white-tailed and mule deer, the climate of New York City is 

 decidedly inimical. This densely humid and extremely sa- 

 line atmosphere is about as deadly to the black-tail, caribou 

 and moose as it is to the Eskimo ; and thus far we have 

 found it an absolute impossibility to maintain satisfactory 

 herds of those species in the ranges available for them. In 

 great tracts of forests, some of them might become acclima- 

 tized ; but, be that as it may, all experiments made thus far 

 both here and in two of the great game preserves of New 

 England, prove conclusively that black-tail deer, mule deer, 

 caribou, moose, and also prong-horned antelope, are among 

 the most difficult of all ruminants to acclimatize anywhere 

 in the United States eastward of the great plains. 



Although the Zoological Society will continue its experi- 

 ments with some of these preserve species, and will always 

 strive to exhibit some of them, our original hopes regarding 

 them have been abandoned. We are certain that the diffi- 

 culty lies not in the food, but in climate conditions, that are 

 beyond our control, and especially our very salty atmosphere. 



The American Elk, or Wapiti, (Cervus canadensis.) — Of 

 all the numerous members of the Deer Family, this animal is 

 second in size to the moose only ; and in the autumn, when 

 its pelage is bright and luxuriant, its sides well rounded, its 

 massive antlers clean and held conspiculously aloft, the elk 

 may justly be called the king of the Ccrvxdae. It is well 

 that in the Yellowstone Park we have an unfailing supply 

 of Elk, which bids fair to perpetuate this handsome species 

 for another century. 



Our Elk Range might well stand for a mountain park, in 

 which is set a natural lakelet of real value. In October, 

 when the splendid groves of beech, oak, and maple along 

 the eastern ridge put on all the glorious tints of autumn, 

 and the big thicket of sumacs, ash, and haw on the northern 

 hill fairly blaze with scarlet — then are the elk also at their 



