190 BULLETIN OF THE 



The "Woodland Caribou, or Reindeer (Tarandus rangifer Gray; 

 Rangifer caribou Aud. and Bach.), like the preceding, probably once 

 inhabited Western Massachusetts, judging from what is known of their 

 earlier distribution, though probably rather as an occasional visitant 

 from the north than as a numerous or permanent resident. It is still 

 found occasionally in Northern Maine, whence specimens have been 

 received on several occasions at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 

 from Mr. J. G. Rich. In March, 1863, according to Professor Ver- 

 rill,* this gentleman brought seven to Boston, killed on the head waters 

 of the Kennebec, out of a herd of about twenty, supposed by Mr. Rich 

 to have come from regions farther north, as the caribou had been 

 noticed there by him but once before during the previous live years. 

 It is said to occur also in the Adirondacks of Xew York.f 



In this species we are again met by the old question of identity with a 

 closely allied Old World congener. Several high authorities still maintain 

 its identity with the European and Asiatic reindeer, while others, whose 

 opinions are equally entitled to consideration, believe them distinct. Un- 

 like the moose, the reindeer, if forming but a single species, are apparently 

 easily separated into several very distinct races, in some eases differing in 

 size, but chiefly in the character of the horns. In America, the woodland 

 caribou constitutes a southern form, and inhabits the northern wooded 

 districts of the continent; in the Arctic Barren Grounds it is replaced 

 by a much smaller race, but which, it is said, lias larger horns. This 

 smaller race seems to be a circumpolar one, inhabiting the similar wood- 

 less tracts of the extreme north of the Old World, and also Greenland, 

 but differing somewhat in different districts, it is claimed, by peculiar 

 modes of branching of the horns, especially in respect to the form of 

 the brow antlers. Whether these differences that have been pointed out 

 are to be considered as constantly characterizing the reindeer of these dif- 

 ferent regions is still questionable, as but comparatively few specimens 

 appear to have been yet compared. From the great variability in the 

 branching of the hums presented by all the different species of the Cer- 

 vidce, the right and left boms in the same individual, as well as the SUCCes- 

 sive sets, being often most notably unlike, it seems to be a distinction of 

 doubtful value. 



In reference to the disputed question of whether there are one or several 



* Pro !. B ' S c. Xat. Ili-t , Vol. IX, p. 226. 



t In reference to the much farther exten ion outhward of the habitat of this species 

 in earlier times than even two centuries ago, see the general remarks on the geograph- 

 ical distribution of the Massachusetts Mammals, at the close of the paper. 



