THE LIVING WORLD. 
579 
attains a brownish-red. The males are solitary beings, and their contests are 
most exciting, equalling in fero¬ 
city that of the most desperate 
bulls. These fights rarely occur 
except during the mating season, 
when the sight of one buck by 
another is a sufficient challenge, 
and they immediately rush to 
the encounter. 
The Wapiti, Carolina Stag, 
or American Elk (Cervus cana¬ 
densis ), lives in large or small 
herds, commanded by an old 
buck, whose orders are never 
disputed. This leadership, 
however, is neither gained nor 
retained without many a battle 
with rivals. Occasional instances 
have been known where two stags, 
getting their horns inextricably 
interlocked, have perished of 
hunger and left the vacant throne 
to a successor. It is a hard task¬ 
master to the does and keeps them 
in constant and not unnecessary 
fear, evidently believing in the 
British doctrine that a man may 
punish his wife. When wounded MOOSB < Cem “ alces) ' 
the wapiti at once becomes aggressive and is a dangerous antagonist. It 
is a swift runner and an ex¬ 
pert swimmer, frequently 
submerging itself to the 
point of the nose, with 
the seeming object of 
escaping the heat and in¬ 
sects. It is valued for its 
flesh, its skin and its 
sport-giving qualities. It 
can be domesticated, but 
submits to no punishment. 
It is said that a tame wa¬ 
piti once treed its owner. 
He was annoyed by its 
attentions and struck it 
with his cane, whereupon 
the wapiti at once charged, 
roebuck. and the gentleman, while 
running, happening to fall 
between two logs, was kept captive for several hours, while the wapiti used its 
horns on the outside. 
