MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 197 



species of reindeer, Mr. Andrew Murray, in his valuable work on the 

 Geographical Distribution of Mammals (p. 151), observes: "But there are 

 several varieties ; how far some of these deserve to be reckoned species, and 

 if so, which of them, is a more difficult question. There is, first, the fossil 

 variety; next, the Lapland reindeer, which is nearest to the fossil type ; 

 then the Siberian, which, although very close to the Lapland, differs in 

 the character of the horns ; moreover, there are two varieties in North 

 America, and one in Greenland and Spitzbergen. I believe all these to be 

 altered forms developed out of one stock, modified to an extent corre- 

 sponding with the degree of deviation of their respective climates from the 

 original condition of existence of that stock." Mr. Murray gives figures, 

 copied from various authors, of the antlers of these different varieties, and 

 mentions in detail their points of difference and resemblance; concerning 

 which he adds: "The resemblance between them is too constant, and, as 

 will be seen by the figures, is too considerable to be a matter of accident 

 or coincidence." 



Dr. Richardson seems to have first clearly distinguished the two varieties 

 of American reindeer, or caribou, now so generally recognized, but of the 

 woodland variety (" Cerous tarandua, var. /3 tylm stria ") lie claims to " know 

 little, having," he says, "seen few of them alive or in an entire state. It is," 

 he adds, "much larger than the Barren Ground caribou, has smaller horns, 

 and when in good condition is vastly inferior as an article of food." The 

 Barren Ground variety he seems to have studied with great care. Respect- 

 ing the character of the horns, the peculiar form of which seems to be the 

 chief character yet discovered by which to distinguish the different so- 

 called varieties, he observes: "The old males have, in general, the largest 

 and most palmated horns, while the young ones have them less branched, 

 and more cylindrical and pointed ; but this is not uniformly the case, and 

 the variety of forms assumed by the horns of the caribou is, indeed, so 

 great, that it is difficult to comprehend them all in a general description. 

 Same have the branches and extremities broadly palmated [the italicizing 

 is my own], and set round with finger-like points; others have them cy- 

 lindrical, and even tapering, without any palmated portion whatever. The 

 majority of adult males have a brow antler, in form of a broad vertical 

 plate, running down betwixt the eyes, and hanging over the nose. In 

 some, this horn springs from the right horn, in others from the left; in many 

 there is a plate from each side, and in a considerable number it is altogether 

 wanting; the plate is, in general, widest at its extremity, and is set with 

 four or five points, which are sometimes recurved. The main stem of the 

 horn also exhibits an endless variety in its thickm ?.«, altitude, and curvature." 

 Major Smith observes, that a "probable distinction, by which some, if not 

 all, of the varieties of caribou may be distinguished from the reindeer of the 



