62 Moose Deer, — Alces Americana, 



found in the unsettled portions of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, 

 and the north west territory. The superiority in size possessed by this great 

 animal over all other deer, is not accompanied by a corresponding increase' 

 of beauty. All who have examined those usually to l>e seen in confinement 

 at the cities of Montreal and Quebec, will acknowledge that the moose is not 

 a remarkably good looking animal. A full grown moose is of the size of a 

 large horse. The body and neck are both short and stout, and the latter ia 

 covered with a thick mane of strong hair. The legs are long and clumsy, 

 the head enormously large and not gracefully pointed as in other deer, but 

 somewhat resembles that of an immense romaji-nosed horse. It is ter- 

 minated over the mouth by a long flexible upper lip which forms a moveable 

 snout, like a short blunt proboscis. 



This peculiar shape of the head, its narrowness below the eyes, and greater 

 eize at the mouth, gives to the moose a very nugalnly appearance. The 

 nostrils are very long, and the eyes are small in proportion to the size of the 

 animal, and somewhat deeply sunk into the head. The ears are about twelve 

 inches in length, and the feet are cleft so far up that the hoofs separate 

 widely in walking. 



In winter the moose is covered with long coarse hair, and in summer 

 with a short glossy coat. The colour is generally blackish, brown, or black, 

 lighter under the belly, on the nose, and inside the ears. There is a long- 

 tuft, eight or ten inches in length, hanging down beneath the jaws in the 

 young moose. Some of the individuals are of various shades of grey, and 

 it is said that these are the largest, sometimes attaining the height of eight 

 feet, and weighing 1500 lbs. 



The gigantic horns of the moose are well known in almost every town 

 of Europe or America where there is a museum. It is difficult to believe 

 that those enormous solid appendages are the growth of a single season, and 

 yet the fact is too well established to admit of a doubt. Only the males are 

 provided with them, and no matter how large they may be, they grow to 

 their full size in about twelve or fourteen weeks. On the young nioose, one 

 year old, they " are merely short knobs ; they increase in size after each 

 annual shedding, and after the fourth year become palmated, and may be 

 termed full grown about the fifth year. The palms are, on the widest part, 

 on a moderate sized male, about 11 inches wide. The space between the 

 roots, six or seven inches. A very large pair measures over five feet 

 between the tips, and will weigh 60 or 70 pounds. They begin to sprout' 

 in April, and fall off in December or January. It is said that their growth 

 is complete in July, when the velvet peels off", and they are then white, but 

 afterwards become brown or yellow. From one to three points or short 

 prongs are added to the palms each year, so that the age of the animal ia 

 not indicated by the number of these prongs as is generally supposed. 



In fighting with each other they use both horns and feet, but in con- 

 tending with dogs, only the latter, with which they strike tremendous blows. 

 Their pace is a long swinging trot, which they can keep up for several hours 

 in succession. 



