. The American natural history; a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America. Natural history. THE AMERICAN ELK 121 forehead, neck and shoulders, without its dimin- ishing his energy in the least. Solitary bucks in small corrals are most dan- gerous. Where deer run in a large herd, the danger is much less; but if a herd-buck begins to approach people with the slow stride of a pugilist, lips and nose turned up, ears laid back, and snorting defiantly, shut him up at once, or saw off his antlers close to his head, before he does mischief. locked, wild deer are much give
. The American natural history; a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America. Natural history. THE AMERICAN ELK 121 forehead, neck and shoulders, without its dimin- ishing his energy in the least. Solitary bucks in small corrals are most dan- gerous. Where deer run in a large herd, the danger is much less; but if a herd-buck begins to approach people with the slow stride of a pugilist, lips and nose turned up, ears laid back, and snorting defiantly, shut him up at once, or saw off his antlers close to his head, before he does mischief. locked, wild deer are much given to fighting during the rutting season. It is to be remem- bered, however, that male deer are in the habit of playfully sparring with their horns, and it is very likely that many a death-lock has been due to a pushing-match rather than to deadly com- bat. The antlers of our white-tailed and mule deer are peculiarly adapted to the fatal inter- locking that has caused many a fine buck to perish miserably by slow starvation. In cap-. Photographed by E. R. Sanbobn, New York Zoological Park, 1903. A MODEL AMERICAN ELK, IN OCTOBER. Fighting Among Deer.—Even among them- selves, deer are murderous brutes. It is quite a common thing for one buck to treach- erously assassinate another; and some are such thorough degenerates they will murder their own does and fawns. The largest and hand- somest bucks are not always the best fight- ers, for they often lack the activity and youth- ful vigor which gives supremacy to a younger animal. Judging by the number of pairs of deer that have been found dead with their antlers tightly tivity, pushing-matches amongst deer are quite common. The Round-Horned Deer. The American Elk, or Wapiti,^ is as tall as a horse, handsomel}' formed, luxuriantly maned, carries its head proudly, and is crowned by a pair of very imposing antlers. Even the doe Elk is a handsome and stately creature; and ' Cer'vus can-a-den'sis. In Europe, this animal is called the Wapi
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