140 



THE DEER 



ance. In America the moose is followed over the snow 

 on snowshoes and is a most difficult animal to approach, 

 being very timid, rushing off at the slightest alarm. In 

 some parts of northern Europe it is sometimes hunted on 

 horseback. 



The smallest deer is the little kanchil of Borneo, Java, 

 and Malacca, which is hardly as large as a small dog, and 

 whose young at birth are the size of rats. It has singular 

 canine tusks. 



The axis deer of India is one of the most attractive 

 forms, spotted with white after the fashion of many young. 



The musk deer (Fig. 

 118) of Thibet is an 

 interesting Uttle crea- 

 ture with tusklike 

 canines in the male 

 which are used as 

 weapons, neither sex 

 possessing horns. 

 The musk of com- 

 merce comes from a 

 peculiar gland in the stomach, containing about an ounce 

 of musk, so penetrating, when the animal is shot, as almost 

 to overpower the hunter. The collection of this musk 

 is an important business in Indo-China. The little animal 

 is very shy and is caught only in traps, to which the Tun- 

 guses attract it by imitating the bleating of the pygmy 

 young. 



In western North America there are several interesting 

 deer, among which are the white and the black tail and 

 the mule deer. The black tail is a small, beautifully 



Fig. 118. — Musk Deer. 



