104 The Ottawa Naturalist. 



loses the fear produced by unexpected sounds, and moves off in alarm on 

 hearing the cracking of dry branches in the distance, or other warning 

 noises. We were further warned that if we suddenly came upon one 

 of the huge " pets " of which we were in quest, it was advisable to 

 dodge immediately behind a tree. "Always keep a tree between you 

 and the moose," said our guide, for the instinctive habit of suddenly 

 striking out with his ponderous fore-foot is never got rid of. So power- 

 ful is the stroke of the sharp cloven hoof that, like the slash of a sabre, 

 its effect is almost always fatal, as many a hunter has found to his cost. 

 As we advanced slowly and noiselessly our guide called in a soothing 

 tone," Coom," "Coom," n Coom," just as a dairy maid calls her favourite 

 calf, and ere long signalled to us to stop. Then our guide putting up his 

 hand pointed to a small clear space in the midst of large trees. Lo ! 

 under the leafy roof we could just distinguish two large br'own masses 

 on the ground. There were a couple of moose demurely chewing the 

 cud in this shady retreat ! The colour of the hide, a daik chocolate, 

 so perfectly harmonized with the shadows and tree trunks around, that 

 the outlines of the two animals could be discerned only with difficulty. 

 Both had their heads turned away from us, and the back alone was 

 visible, much of the body being hidden by the intervening undergrowth. 

 The explanation of the peculiar position in which moose rest dm 

 the day is easy. The back is always turned towards the direction 

 whence the wind blows. As the wind changes the moose change then 

 position. On this occasion the wind was from the north, and we were 

 moving south, so that a very slight wind blew towards them from us. 

 The moose is endowed with a sense of smell so acute, that anything 

 approaching from the windward side is at once detected by them with- 

 out the aid of eyes or ears. The head being turned in the opposite 

 direction, the eyes and ears are thus able to detect any approaching 

 danger from that quarter. Such is the universal habit of the moose. 

 He detects danger by scent in one direction, by sight and sound in the 

 other direction. With his back turned towards the wind the moo?e is 

 able to detect danger from whatever quarter it comes. This was soon 

 demonstrated, for, as we came nearer, one of them rose quickly and 

 turned round in our direction, eyeing us sullenly. He was a magnifi- 



