FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
*64 
rage, and wage the fiercest war against each other for the pos¬ 
session of the females. During this season the males are said to 
make a loud and unpleasant noise, which is compared to a 
sound between the neighing of a stallion and the bellowing of a 
bull. Towards the end of May, or the beginning of June, the 
female brings forth her young, commonly one, but very fre¬ 
quently two in number, which are generally male and female. 
“ The flesh of the Elk is highly esteemed by the Indians and 
hunters as food, and the horns, while in their soft state, are also 
considered a delicacy; of their hides a great variety of articles 
of dress and usefulness are prepared. The solid portion or shaft 
of the perfect horn is wrought by the Indians into a bow, which is 
highly serviceable from its elasticity, as well as susceptibility of 
beauty of polish and form. Several of these bows may be seen 
in the extensive collection of Indian implements belonging to 
the Philadelphia Museum. The Elk has occasionally been to a 
certain degree domesticated, and might possibly be rendered as 
serviceable as the Rein-deer. A pair of these animals, repre¬ 
sented in London under the name of Wapiti, were trained to 
draw in harness, or to bear the saddle, for the amusement of 
visitors. But these experiments are not sufficient to lead us to 
conclude that the Elk could be readily substituted for the Rein¬ 
deer or Home. 
“ With what little is known of this species from actual obser¬ 
vation, several writers have mingled a great deal of fable, and 
have repeated the stories of ‘ hunters,’ until they have at length 
passed for the truth. Thus, we are told of a ‘ small vesicle,’ on 
the outside of the Elk’s hind legs, that contains a thin unctious 
matter, which some of our hunters call the ‘ oil.’ Various im¬ 
probable uses are assigned to this unique and wonderful ‘ oil¬ 
spring,’ which it would be lost time to repeat or refute. We 
have inquired of those who have dissected several of these ani¬ 
mals, and have been present at the dissection of one ourselves, 
but have never been able to discover anything of this ‘ vesicle.’ 
A friend who had one of these animals for several years living 
in his possession, states that he never detected the presence of 
