NORTH AMERICAN RUMINANTS. 



By J. A An in. Ph D 

 Curator, Department <>!" Mammalogy and Ornithol 



[ntroduction. 



The Ruminants of North America comprise the Deer, the 



nghorn Antelopes, the Bighorn or Mountain Sheep, the Moun- 



tain and the Bison or "Buffalo." They arc all "game 



animals."' and. like the game animals of all parts of the world, 

 they are, in many instances, rapidly approaching extermination. 

 The Bison, i ibundant on our western plains, is now almost 



an animal of the past. The Elk or Wapiti Deer has been exter- 

 minate- 1 over probably nine-tenths of its former range; the 

 nghorn, the Virginia Deer and the Mule Deer have also be- 

 e greatly restricted, as has the Moose. Even the Caribou and 

 the Musk-< be in the far North are being slaughtered annually by 

 the thousand, and are becoming exterminated over extensive 

 they were formerly abundant, 

 partial extermination of large mammals is inevitab! 

 the country becomes settled, and the land is required for agricul- 

 tural pUT] but in this country the waste of animal life has 



n enormous and inexcusable. The Buffalo was slaughfc 



by the million long before its haunts were needed for settlement. 



tly for its hide and partly to afford sport for the big-game 



hunter. The slaughter of the Elk in the tran^ Mississippian ter- 



•i almost equally needless and extensive. The 



Mountain Bighorn has been wiped out of cxistei 



itural range, and now the destruction of 



: and Moose in the far North is : ling with air 



ie rapidity, not only in th< 1 by the miner 



and upply of 



S with fresh meat. I I gly 



marked climati Deer tribe ha wholly 



with i: mens in our museums tify to their 



3 



