MAMMALS OF THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 369 



tumn, single bands of one or more thou- 

 sands are seen, it seems likely that the act- 

 ual figures are much over those given. As 

 a matter of fact, the Park has already more 

 ■elk than it can feed over winter. The con- 

 sequence is that each year there is a surplus 

 population of elk crowded out into the sur- 

 rounding country. This no doubt is in the 

 line of the Park objects; consequently the 

 shooting and hunting in the outside region 

 is, and is likely to continue, the best in 

 America. The Park elk are said to be a 

 good deal troubled with a scab disease. 

 This seems to be a consequence of their 

 retreat from the plains to the mountains, 

 for the elk, like the big-horn, is not normal- 

 ly an alpine species. Perhaps the white 

 goat is the only one of our ruminants 

 which is by nature a cliff dweller. " I do 

 riot believe in the scab disease. Those that 

 show it are only the old bulls, scabby from 

 age. I have seen and killed too many elk 

 near the Park to believe that scab is among 

 them as a disease." G. S. A. 



" Notwithstanding the hard winter of 

 1896-97, which killed many elk and drove 

 many more out of the park, there is no per- 

 ceptible diminution in their number. I be- 

 lieve that more than 5,000 winter in the 

 park, and that at least 15,000 leave the park 

 in the autumn to winter in the lower coun- 

 try. 



" I happened to be at the South boun- 

 dary of the forest reserve this year, just 

 after the first snowstorm, on October 13 

 and 14. The country about Jackson lake 

 was literally alive with elk, and from the 

 best estimates I believe that 10,000 crossed 

 the South boundary this fall. Many go 

 ^own the Madison to winter; some down 

 the Gallatin, and some down the Yellow- 

 stone. All that survive the winter return 

 to the park to raise their young, as soon 

 as the snow will permit of their return. Of 

 those that winter in the park, the largest 

 herd ranges North of the Yellowstone 

 river, in the country that it has been so of- 

 ten proposed to cut off from the park. I 

 doubt if any more would ever winter in the 

 park under any circumstances- if this 

 should happen. The park furnishes an 

 ideal summer range for 40,000 elk, but there 

 is not enough winter range for one-fourth 

 that number." Lieut. Lindsley. 



22. Black-tailed Deer (Dorcelaphus hem- 

 ionus Raf.). This is the common deer of 

 the region. It is common throughout the 

 half open regions of the Park, its favorite 

 haunts being the thicket of quaking asp 

 on the hillsides, but it seems to avoid the 

 heavy continuous woods. Its remarkable 

 bounding gives it a sovereign advantage 

 in surmounting the hills. " They roam 

 through the post all winter and it is easy 

 to get within a few feet of them at any time. 

 They have been known to come and look 

 through a window, at a party at dinner not 

 10 feet from where they were standing." 

 G. S. A. 



" Deer are numerous, and in the sum- 

 mer are distributed over the whole park. 

 Their protection has as yet offered no dif- 

 ficulties and probably will not for many 

 years to come. Probably 200 winter in the 

 immediate vicinity of the post and are very 

 tame. A few white-tail deer inhabit the 

 lower and more open portions of the park." 

 Lieut. Lindsley. 



23. White-tailed Deer (Dorcelaphus amer- 

 icanus macroarus Raf.) Rare but accord- 

 ing to many witnesses found occasionally 

 in all the wooded river bottoms in the 

 South and Southeast Park. " A good many 

 of late years near Mammoth Hot Springs 

 and eastward as far as Yancey's, and even 

 Soda Butte. I sent a fawn to Washington, 

 D. C., that was picked up at the canon. On 

 the whole it is rather scarce compared with 

 the Black-tail." G. S. A. 



24. Antelope (Antilocapra americana 

 Ord.). Common along the open valley of 

 the Yellowstone from Gardiner to Soda 

 Butte; but in the wooded regions un- 

 known. In 1896 there were probably over 

 1,000 antelope in the North part of the 

 Park, but during the deep snow of last win- 

 ter they suffered so much that I doubt if Y2 

 that number are now left. " Also plenty 

 near the West line, near Riverside, and 

 some across the South line near the Snake 

 river station." G. S. A. 



25. Mountain Sheep or Bighorn (Ovis 

 cervina Shaw). This seems to be confined 

 chiefly to the North part of the Park. Mt. 

 Everts and the mountain North of the Yel- 

 lowstone being favorite places. Still they 

 are very rare even there. One hunter ex- 

 pressed a belief that there were nearer 50 

 than 100 on those mountains. Like the elk 

 they are much affected with a scab disease. 

 I suspect the Bighorn of the Park and 

 the Northern Rocky Mountains will be 

 found at least subspecifically distinct from 

 that of the adjoining Pacific slope, and dis- 

 tinguished from it by its very pale general 

 color. 



"The foregoing correct: but it is plenti- 

 ful also near the West line of the Park; an- 

 other favorite place is the mountain East 

 of the lake. Fifteen months ago I saw a 

 fine band of about 12, some 15 miles South- 

 east of Yancey's on Amethyst mountain, 

 and there are always plenty near Soda 

 Butte. I have seen more than 30 in one 

 bunch on Mt. Everts, and in May last, I 

 saw 3 within 1Y2 miles of my house at the 

 Mammoth Hot Springs, along the Yancey 

 road. Col. Young was with me at the time. 

 I hear the ' scab ' killed off those East of 

 the Park several years ago, but those that 

 are there now seem all right." G. S. A. 



" There are several bands of sheep that 

 ranp-e along the higher mountains of the 

 Park. A very fine bunch winters close to 

 the post, on the slopes of Mount Everts. 

 This bunch numbered about 30 last win- 

 ter. There are smaller bunches in the 

 Northeast corner of the Park, some along 



