84 
ELK. 
SYNONYMES. 
Stag, Pennant, Arctic Zool., vol. i., p. 27. 
Wewaskiss, Hearne, Journal, p. 360. 
Red Deer, Unifreville. 
Do. do. Ray, Synops. Quad., p. 84. 
C. Sthokcylooeros, Sclireber, Saugethiere, vol. ii., p. 1074, pi. 247, F. q. G. 
Aloes Amebicanus, Jefferson’s Notes on Virginia, p. 77. 
The Elk, Lewis and Clark, vol. ii., p. 167. 
C. Waptite, Barton, Med. and Phys. Journal, vol. i., p. 36. 
Elk, Smith, Med. Reports, vol. ii., p. 157, fig. Male, Female, and Young. 
Cervos (Elapiius) Canadensis, (The Wapite,) Synopsis of the Species of Mam- 
lualia. Griffith’s Cuvier, p. 776. 
C. Canadensis, Harlan, p. 236. 
Do. do. Godraan, l ol. ii., p. 294, fig. Male. 
Oekvus Strongylocebos, Richardson, (The Wapite.) p. 251. 
Elaphus Canadensis, Dekay, New-York Fauna, p. 118, plate 28, fig. 2. 
DESCRIPTION 
The Elk is of an elegant, stately and majestic form, and the whole 
animal is in admirable, proportion. It bears so strong a resemblance to 
the red deer of Europe, that it was for a long time regarded as a mere 
variety ol' the same .species. It is, however, much larger in size, and on 
closer examination differs from it in many particulars. 
Head, of moderate size ; muzzle, broad and long, rather small, not very 
prominent ; ears, large ; legs, rather stout, finely proportioned ; hoofs, 
rather small. 
From between the horns to the end of the frontal bone, beyond the nasal 
opening sixteen inches, length of horns following the curvature of the main 
branch four feet ; with all the roots three and a quarter inches, by two 
and a quarter thick. There are six points on each horn, irregularly dis- 
posed, varying in length from nine to sixteen inches, excepting one which 
is two and a half inches only in length. At their points the horns curb 
backward and upward, and are about three feet five inches apart, at about 
half the distance from their roots to the extreme tip of the longest point or 
main branch. The horns at the insertion are three and three-quarter inches 
apart from the ring or crown at their roots. 
In examining a number of elk horns we find a very remarkable variety, 
no two antlers being exactly alike on the same animal. We possess one 
pair which has a blunt prong extending downward on the right side of the 
face about nine, inches, whilst the corresponding prong on the ojiposite side 
is turned upwards. The horns of this individual have five prongs on one 
