64 NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU 



mating season has passed they are shed, those on the 

 old stags going earliest, then the largest horns, and last 

 those of the young stags. By November loth, few good 

 heads are to be found, while the young stags carry theirs 

 until well into December, or even later. The does that 

 carry horns retain theirs to the end of winter and sometimes 

 into the spring. Theirs, however, mature later than those 

 of the stag, the velvet frequently being seen on them until 

 the middle of October. 



To return to the big herd of Caribou which I was 

 watching, wondering whether there would be a fight, and 

 if so, whether it would take place before the light became 

 too weak for photographic work. The restlessness of 

 the herd, especially among the stags, was becoming more 

 and more noticeable ; perhaps they considered the two or 

 three hours' rest had been long enough and the more 

 energetic ones were trying to arouse those who were 

 lazy and preferred to doze. Even my old spindle-horned 

 friend was getting uneasy and had moved his position. 

 It looked almost as though I might have attempted to 

 take a photograph of him, but it would have been a 

 hazardous proceeding, as the slightest movement on my 

 part would have probably attracted the attention of the 

 many animals which were so close to me. 



The stag whose horns had been tantalizing me for 

 so long suddenly got up and stretched himself, behind 

 a tree of course, and moved off still keeping that tree 

 between us, so that I could make no picture. I could 

 plainly see that he was a good-sized beast, and carried 

 a handsome and very symmetrical head of about thirty-five 

 points. The greater part of the herd appeared to be 

 working away from me, which was bad luck, but the worst 

 of it was, at least so I thought at the time, that several 



