West American Wapiti 101 



and the new pair free from velvet by the end of August or beginning of 

 September. Saplings of aspen or pine appear to afford the favourite 

 rubbing-posts for freeing the antlers from the last remnants of the velvet. 



In the wild state the hind breeds when two or three years old ; the 

 number of fawns at a birth being sometimes two, or rarely three, although 

 one is the most common. The beautifully spotted fawns are very active, 

 but it is some little time after their birth that the hinds rejoin the herd. 

 In defence of her offspring the female wapiti displays great boldness and 

 energy ; her great aversion, when in captivity, being a dog, in the pursuit 

 of which the whole herd will join. Like that of the elk, the favourite 

 pace of the wapiti is a long slinging trot, which can be maintained for a 

 great length of time without apparent fatigue ; when forced into a gallop 

 the animal is soon tired. 



Although the ferocity of the old stags during the pairing-season makes 

 them undesirable occupants of an open park, wapiti are easily domesticated, 

 and thrive well in the English climate. They cross readily with the Asiatic 

 wapitis, and also with the red deer ; and there is no doubt that a cross of 

 wapiti blood improves the stamina and size of the latter when there has 

 been a long course of in-and-in breeding. For magnificence of appearance, 

 no deer can compare with the various races of wapiti as inhabitants of a 

 park. In America Mr. Herrick states that he has seen wapiti employed 

 with success for draught purposes. 



b. West American Race — Cervus canadensis occidentals 



Cervus (Elaplius) occidentalism H. Smith, 1 in Griffith's Animal Kingdom, 

 vol. iv. p. 101, v. p. 308 (1827). 



Elaplius occidentalism Swainson, Class//'. Quadrupeds, p. 292 (1835). 

 Cervus occidental's, }ardine, Naturalist's Library — Mamm. vol. iii. p. 139 



(■835)- 



Cervus canadensis occidentalis, Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 618. 

 Strongyloceros occidentalis, Fitzinger, SB. Ak. Wien, vol. lxix. part i. 

 P- 5 6 3 ( l8 74)- 



Cervus roosevelti, Merriam, Proc. Soc. Washington, vol. xi. p. 272 (1897). 



1 In the original description the tail is stated to be long, and there appears to be some confusion 

 with the mule-deer. But the antlers, which are clearly those of a wapiti, are first mentioned, and stand 

 as the type. Blyth's acceptance in 1865 of the name confirms the identification of the sub-species. 



