Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-26
WHAT IS AN ELK

Two men were engaged in a warm
discussion on Water street over the
QueStion-What is an Elk?
One maintained that an elk was any
sort of deer of the masculine gender,
and he also declared that it was of
bright purple color.
The other asserted that an elk prop
er was mountain goat and was of
pale lavender color and often polka dot
in general appearance. The first then
declared that the other didn't know an
elk from a hump-backed camel The
second then retorted that his opponent
could not tell an elk from bob-tailed
goat and offered to bet money on it.
Just then the professor happened
along and they decided to arbitrate
the matter. Explaining the points in
controversy, they then asked his opin-
ion.
THE elk" said the professor, cor,
technically speaking, the cervus alces,
is moose. His habitat, or place of
residence, is Northwestern Europe, par
Observation-Disclosures, and North Amer
lea. The elk in this country, or moose,
is, technically, the alces Americans,
or malchis. To classify him more thor
of mammalia, sub order ungulate, of
the artiodactyla section of the group
of ruminantia Of the family cervidae.
That is to say in plain American, that
he iis a vertebrate animal that suckles
its young, has hoofed feet, with an even
number of toes, chews his cud, and is
a member of the deer family proper.
The cervidae, or deer family proper,
hnx oil 1nt-e- HI oIa ara nj h01-
low, and are usually much branched.
These are deciduous. that is, they are
but of temporary duration. Each year
they are shed and reproduce at the
breeding season. They increase in size,
and number Of branches every time
they are reproduced and in the Older
males attain enormous proportions.
In the ceryidae family, with the ex-
ception of the Reindeer, the antlers are
confined exclusively to the males.
The Antelope is sometimes confused
with the deer family; he belongs to the
Cavicornia, or hollow-horned rumi-
nants, along with oxen, sheep, goats,
etc. These do not shed their horns.
The elk is also represented in this
country by the caribou, or cervus tar
audus, found in the north; and also
the Wapita, or cervus cauadensis.
One of the distinguishing features of
the elk being its large, heavy palmate-
that is, palm-shaped horns The ordi-
nary deer has slender branching ant
lers, and there is quite a variety of
them. In our State here we have the
Carjacon, or Virginian deer, otherwise
the cervus Virgininus. Through the
West we have the white-tailed, or lencu-
rus deer, and the black tailed, or col
umbianus. This latter is found more
toward the Northwest OF course, there
are other species, but these are the
most prevalent"
''The oldest elk we have knowledge
of, and what might be called the papa
of them ALL is the Irish elk, now ex-
tinct, that existed in the post-pliocene
period of the neoZoic age, some hun
dreds of centuries ago. This was a col
aossal creature and it existed in North
west Europe. particularly on the great
plains that are now covered by the
South Sea. But that takes us into
geological discussion.
but, professor" said one of the fell
lows, you have not told us whether
an elk Is purple or pale lavender.
THE man who saw a purple or
pale lavender elk cannot take the Keel
ey cure too soon-an elk is dark brown
and has yellow legs
Now, professor" said the other fell
low, "if elks have big palm-shaped
horns, how is it that most pictures of
these supposed elks have slender,
branching horns?"
1t is perhaps from the reason that
most persons selecting design in the
deer family, have copied the deer heads
from Sir Edwin I.andseers work. I'M
der the impression that they were
elks' heads. The deer in Iandseer's
pictures are usually the stag, or red
deer, found in Northern Europe and
Scotland and technically known as the
cervus elaphus. 1t should be remem-
oered that every elk is a deer, but that
every deer is not an elk
The professor then looked at his