210 
MULE DEER. 
are the only species on the mountains in the vicinity of the first falls of the 
Columbia River. Their highest northern range, according to Richardson, is 
the banks of the Saskatchewan, in about latitude 54° ; they do not come to 
the eastward of longitude 105 in that parallel. He represents them as 
numerous on the Guamash fiats, which border on the Kooskooskie River. 
We found it a little to the east of Fort Union on the Missouri River. It 
ranges north and south along the eastern sides of the Rocky Mountains 
through many parallels of latitude until it reaches north-western Texas, 
where it has recently been killed. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
Since the days of Lewis and Clarke, an impression has existed among na- 
turalists that there were two species of black-tailed Deer ; the one existing 
to the east of the Rocky Mountains, and the other, bordering on the Pacific, 
and extending through upper California. Although the descriptions of those 
fearless and enterprising travellers are not scientific, yet their accounts 
of the various species of animals, existing on the line of their travels, have 
in nearly every case been found correct, and their description of habits 
v«ry accurate. They state that “the black-tailed fallow Deer are peculiar 
to this coast (mouth of the Columbia,) and are a distinct species, partaking 
equally of the qualities of the Mule and the common Deer ( C. Virginianiis.) 
The receptacle of the eye more conspicuous, their legs shorter, their bodies 
thicker and larger. The tail is of the same length with that of the common 
Deer, the hair on the under side, white ; and on its sides and top of a deep 
jetty black; the hams resembling in form and colour those of the Mule Deer, 
which it likewise resembles in its gait. The black-tailed Deer never runs 
at full speed, but bounds with every foot from the ground at the same time, 
like the Mule Deer. He sometimes inhabits the woodlands, but more often 
the prairies and open grounds. It may be generally said that he is of a size 
larger than the common Deer, and less than the Mule Deer. The flesh is 
seldom fat, and in fiavour is far infei’ior to any other of the species ! It will 
be seen from the above, that they regarded the Mule Deer of the plains of 
Western Missouri as a distinct species from the black-tailed Deer, which 
existed along the Pacific coast near the Columbia river. 
Say gave the first scientific description of the Mule Deer, which he named 
‘‘ Germs MacroLis” which having the priority we have retained. Richard- 
son, whilst at the Saskatchewan, sought to obtain specimens of this animal 
for description, but it being a season of scarcity, the appetites of the hunters 
proved superior to their love of gain, and they devoured the Deer they had 
shot, even to their skins. When after his return to Europe, in 1829, he 
