V. 



The Woodland Caribou or American Reindeer. 



Rangifer caribou (Gmelin), 

 {Rayigijer, made up by Hamilton Smith in 1827, apparently from old French, Rangier, 

 a Reindeer, and the L. jera, a wild beast {Cent. Diet.); caribou, the New Eng- 

 land Indian name.) 



Cervus tarandus caribou Gmelin, 1788, Syst. Nat. I, p. 177. 



Rangifer caribou, AuD.and Bach., 1854, Quad. N.A.III, p.m. 



Type Locality. — Eastern Canada. 



French Canadian, le Caribou. 

 Cree, Saut., & OjiB., Ah-tik. 

 Chipewyan, Et-then. 

 Yankton Sioux, See-hah Tang-kah. 



The genus Rangifer (H. Smith, 1827) shows the character- 

 istics of the Family, Cervidce, but has further: Palmated antlers, 

 which are present in both sexes; muzzle, all hairy; a tarsal or 

 inside hock gland, but no metatarsal or outside mid-leg gland; 

 the hoofs broad and flat, the cloots or accessory hoofs so long 

 as commonly to reach the ground; teeth as in the Wapiti, but 

 often without canines. All the American species of Caribou 

 agree with the present in general arrangement of white patches. 



How large is the Woodland Caribou } Larger than the size 

 Whitetail Deer, smaller than the Wapiti. This is a compara- 

 tive answer that usually satisfies the hunter. Exact measure- 

 ments of typical specimens are not available. Audubon and 

 Bachman give* thus the dimensions of one two and one-half 

 years old, presumably a male: 



Length from nose to root of tail .... 6 feet o inches (1,830 mm.) 



Length of tail (vertebrae) 4 " ( 102 mm.) 



Length of tail (including hair) .... 6^ " ( 165 mm.) 



' Quad. N. A., 1849, Vol. Ill, p. 113. 



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