^* Expedition to the 



undescribed animal, called the black-tailed or mule deer, we 

 had been constantly attentive to the important object of pro- 

 curing a complete specimen for preservation and description. 

 Hitherto, though several had been killed, none had been 

 brought to camp, possessing all the characters of the perfect 

 animal. Supposing we should soon pass beyond their range, 

 a reward had been offered to the hunter who should kill and 

 bring to the camp an entire and full grown buck. 



Verplank killed one of this description, on the afternoon of 

 the first of August, near enough our camp to call for as- 

 sistance and bring it in entire. They did not arrive until 

 dark, and we had such pressing necessity for the flesh of 

 the animal, that we could not defer dressing it until the next 

 morning. The dimensions were accordingly taken, and a 

 drawing made by Mr. Peale, by the light of a large fire. 

 Verplank informed us that in company with the buck which 

 he killed, were five does, two of the common red deer, (C. 

 Virginianus,) and three of the other kind.* 



* Since our return to Philadelphia, the following- description of the ani- 

 mal has been drawn out from the dried skin, which, however, is so much 

 injured by depredating' insects, that it has not been judg-ed proper to 

 mount it entire. The head has therefore been separated from tlie remain- 

 ing portion of the skin, and may be seen in the Philadelphia Museum, 

 placed under the foot of a Prairie wolf, (Canis latrans. Say.) which has 

 been well prepared by Mr. T. Peale. 



Cervus inacrotis. Say. Antlers slightly groved,tuberculated at base, 

 a small branch near the base, corresponding to the situation and direction 

 of that of C. Virginiinus; the curvature of the anterior line of the antlers 

 is similar in direction, but less in degree, to that of the same deer; near 

 the middle of liie entire length of the antlers, they bifurcate equally, and 

 each of these processes again divides near the extremity, the anterior of 

 these smaller processes being somewhat longer than the posterior one. 

 The ears are very long, extending to the principal bifurcation, about 

 half the length of the whole antler; the lateral teeth are larger, in propor- 

 tion to the intermediate teeth, than those of the C. V iri;inianus 2.Te; eye- 

 lashes black, the aperture beneath the eye is larger than that of the spe- 

 cies just mentioned and previous; the hair also is coarser and is undulat- 

 ed and compressed, like that of the elk (C. major.); the colour is light 

 reddish-brown above; sides of the head, and hair on the fore portion of the 

 nose above, dull cinereous: the back is intermixed with blackish-tipped 

 hairs, which form a distinct line on the neck, near the head: the tail is of 

 a pale reddish-cinereous colour, and the hair at the tip of the tail is black: 

 the tip of the trunk of the tail is somewhat compressed, aad is beneath 



