34 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



The Reindeer has a brownish coat, dark in 

 summer and lighter in winter, with long, whitish 

 hairs under the neck ; the tail is short and goat- 

 like, and the region about it, as also the outlines 

 of the hoof, are nearly white. The hoofs them- 

 selves are black. 



Of the breeding habits of the wild Reindeer 

 little is known beyond the fact that the fawns 

 are brought forth in the spring. 



The Reindeer in its wild state wanders about 

 the treeless mountains and desolate tundras, mi- 

 grating in immense herds from one feeding- 

 ground to another. Admiral von W'rangel, who 

 witnessed one of these migrations, describes it 

 as extending " further than the eye could reach, 

 a compact mass narrowing to the front. They 

 moved slowly and majestically along, their broad 

 antlers resembling a moving wood of leafless 

 trees. Each body was led by a Deer, a female, 

 of unusual size." 



The Reindeer feeds largely on grasses, sea- 

 weed and rock lichens. To obtain the last of 

 these it will scrape away several feet of snow 

 with its horns and feet. 



Besides flesh and milk for food, the Reindeer 

 furnishes skins for clothing and tents, and its 

 horns and hoofs are also utilized commercially. 



The remarkable strength, speed, and endur- 

 ance of the Reindeer in drawing sledges over 

 the snow are so well known that they need only 

 be referred to here. Pictures of Santa Claus 

 with his Reindeer sledge full of Christmas 

 presents are among the recollections of our earli- 

 est childhood. 



The interest of Americans in the Reindeer, 

 however, centers in the experiment, made about 

 a quarter of century ago by the United States 

 Government, of introducing Siberian and Lap- 

 land Reindeer into Alaska. This experiment 

 has been so remarkably successful as to war- 

 rant more than casual mention here. 



About the year 1887 the native tribes of north- 

 western Alaska, owing to their uneconomical 

 habits of living and the loss of food supplies, 

 were in great danger of starvation. The sug- 

 gestion was made to the United States Govern- 

 ment that it would be a useful and humane 

 undertaking for the Government to introduce 

 Reindeer into the territory, and to train the 

 natives in the care and use of them. In 1892, 

 one hundred and seventy-two animals were im- 

 ported. By 1902 there had been introduced, 

 from Lapland and .Siberia, 1720 Reindeer, from 

 which 61 16 fawns had been born. On June 30, 

 1 91 3, the herds had increased to sixty-two, num- 

 bering no fewer than 47,266 animals, an increase 

 of 20 per cent, over the previous year. During 

 the year 5000 had been killed for food and skins. 



The distribution of the Reindeer to the natives 

 of Alaska is made pro rata. Young natives are 

 required to serve an apprenticeship of four 

 years in the care and management of Reindeer, 

 animals and food being supplied by the Govern- 

 ment to such ap])rentices. 



It is estimated that there are in Alaska areas 

 of 400,000 square miles in the aggregate suffi- 

 cient to feed 10,000,000 Reindeer. 



Lapland Reindeer have recently been intro- 

 duced into Labrador and northern Newfound- 

 land, and the experiment promises great success. 



