24 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



DEscRip- I have aimed to give only so much description of 



TION 



each animal as is necessary for identification, and even 

 then have usually described each animal three times. Set- 

 ting forth: 



(a) The impression it makes as one sees it alive at a short 

 distance. 



(b) A sufficiently full description, assuming the specimen 

 to be in hand. 



(c) The peculiar points that will distinguish it from its 

 nearest allies. 



I set the family and generic characters in close context 

 with those of the species, because when set elsewhere they are 

 commonly overlooked by beginners. 



MEASURE- Three standard measurements are given: 



Total length. — This is the distance in a straight line from 

 tip of nose to tip of bone in tail (ignoring the hair), when the 

 creature is fairly stretched out. 



Tail. — Set the tail at right angles to the back, take the 

 distance from the back to the tip of the bone in tail (ignoring 

 the hair). This is the length of tail. 



Hind-foot. — This is the distance in a straight line from the 

 end of the heel to the tip of the longest claw. 



The measurements, usually those of an adult male, are 

 approximate. A lo per cent, variation over and under is under- 

 stood. They are given in inches; in parentheses are their 

 approximate equivalents in millimetres. 



In the Horned Ruminants — known as Big Game — I have 

 devoted some space to the subject of horns and antlers, and 

 aimed to show the record heads. If any have been overlooked 

 I shall be glad to have the facts for future use. 



SPEED The speed of wild animals is usually exaggerated. I do 



not believe that there exists an)rwhere on earth a wild quad- 

 ruped that on level ground, can outrun a good horse. These 

 facts I set forth in the Antelope chapter; I have further gathered 



