THE ELK. 



Generic Characters. 

 Horns upright, folid, branched, and renewed every year. 

 Eight cutting teeth in the lower jaw, none in the upper. 



Synonims. 

 Cervus Alces, Linn. Syji. 92. 



Alce Machlis, Plin. lib. viii. c. 15. Gefner Quad. 1.3. 



Cervus palmatus, Alca, Elant, Klein Quad. 24. 



^Elg, Linn. Faun. Suec. No. 39. 



Los, Rzaczinfki Polon. 212. 



L'Elan, de Biiffbn, xii. 79. tab. vii. viii. 



Elk, Pennant's Syn. Quad. 35, Raii Syn. Quad. 86. 



NATURALISTS and travellers differ much in their accounts of the 

 height of the Elk, fome averting that it 4s twelve feet, or thirty- three hands 

 high (a) ; while others fay it is not much larger than a Stag(B), although more 

 robuft. The truth feems to lie between, and it is probable that the ufual 

 height of the American Elk, or Moofe-Deer, is from fifteen to feventeen 

 hands ; but that the European kind does not exceed fifteen hands. 

 Mr. Pennant fays (c), he has been informed that" the Indians fpeak of a beafl 

 of this kind, which they call Wafkefleu, far fuperior in fize to that with 

 which we are acquainted : they fay it is found feven or eight hundred miles 

 fouth-weft of York Fort. If the enormous foflil horns, fo often found in 

 Ireland, have ever belonged to the Moofe-Deer, perhaps JofTelyn's account 

 may be right ; though even then it appears to be a variety, as thefe horns 



(a) Joffelyn and Dudley. (b) Dapper, Lev. &c„ (c) Syn. Quad. p. 45. 



