272 American Deer 



west of Fort George, a second running southwards from that point for some 

 distance down the Fraser River and then to the eastward of the same, and a 

 third patch lying some way to the west of the lower part of that river. 



Antlers. — Mr. E. S. Cameron has supplied the following information 

 with regard to the cranial appendages : — " The first antlers are usually forks, 

 but I have obtained an eighteen months' old fawn with perfect spikes, and 

 twice shot deer bearing for their first antlers a spike on one side and a fork 

 on the other. In the second antlers the beam lengthens, but is still simply 

 forked. In the third antlers one of the prongs, either anterior or posterior, 

 is again forked, while the other remains simple. In the fourth antlers both 

 prongs are forked. The sub-basal snag is not, apparently, developed until 

 the assumption of the fifth antlers. The antlers are clean by the end of 

 October and are shed in March." 



The following dimensions of antlers belonging to this species and to the 

 black-tailed Columbian deer are recorded by Mr. Ward : — 



Length along 

 Outer Curve. 



Basal 

 Circumference. 



Tip to Tip. 



Widest 

 inside. 



Number 

 of Points. 



Locality. 



30 



5t 



? 



4 1 





Colorado 



28| 



4i 





17! 



5-5 



Wyoming 



281 



? 





24i 



? 



Colorado 



27f 



6 







9-6 



Brit. Columbia 



27 



Si 





2I| 



6-5 



? 



26| 



5 





? 



35 



Dakota 



26f 



4| 



19I 



2ol 



5-5 



Wyoming 



261 



5f 



r 



i7i 



12 



? 



26! 



4i 





22| 



6-6 



? 





5i 



? 





8 



? 





4f 



? 



? 



28 



Montana 





4l 



18 



Hi 



5-5 



Colorado 



Habits. — For the following information regarding the habits of the 

 mule-deer, I am indebted to Mr. E. S. Cameron, who has had unusual 

 opportunities of observing them in Montana and Dakota. These deer 

 possess great speed, and can maintain it for a long time ; I have seen them 

 run right away from greyhounds in a broken country. Their ordinary gait 

 is a succession of stiff-legged bounds, which they exchange for an even 

 gallop if wounded, or if pressed either by a greyhound or by a swift horse. 



