i6 NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU 



walking together the effect is most peculiar, sounding 

 almost like a lot of small castanets. I have never yet been 

 able to determine whether or not this clicking is made when 

 the animals are trotting or galloping, nor do I know if it 

 occurs at all seasons ; I have only actually heard it in 

 summer and autumn. From what I can learn, it is charac 

 teristic of all the reindeer, both of the Old World and 

 the New. Its object is not known ; that it is a signal I 

 cannot believe, as the animal's sense of smell is so keen that 

 it can without difficulty follow the trail of its own kind, and 

 does not need any clicking sound to guide it either by day 

 or night. That it serves some purpose seems more than 

 probable and perhaps the day will come when we shall 

 know more about animals and their peculiarities and this 

 will be among the mysteries which will be solved. 



Practically all the male Caribou carry horns, though 

 "smooth-heads "are occasionally seen. The size and form of 

 the antlers will be treated more fully in Chapters IV. and V. 

 A thoroughly good " head " from Newfoundland is probably 

 as fine as, if not finer, than can be obtained from the Caribou 

 of any other region. Horns are carried by most of the does in 

 this country, but it would be difficult to say with any degree 

 of accuracy what proportion are without them. Roughly 

 speaking, one out of every nine or ten lacks any visible horn. 

 Mr. J. G. Millais cites the following two instances which 

 should be of interest : 



" Number of female Caribou seen, three hundred and six ; 

 made up of one with twelve points, one with eight points, 

 six with four points, forty with three points, (about) a hundred 

 and twenty with two points, a himdred and thirty with no 

 horns or only small knobby excrescences." 



Toward the end of the same book, he says : 



" Quite eight per cent, of the female Newfoundland Caribou 



