THE REINDEER. 63 
body of Reindeer consists of many thousands, and 
though they are divided into herds of two or three 
hundred each, yet the herds keep so near together as 
to form only one immense mass, which is sometimes 
from fifty to a hundred versts, or thirty to sixty miles, 
in breadth. They always follow the same route, and 
in crossing the river Aniuj, near Plobischtsche, they 
choose a place where a dry valley leads down to a 
stream on one side and a flat, sandy shore facilitates 
their landing on another. As each separate herd ap- 
proaches the river, the deer draw more closely to- 
gether, and the largest and strongest takes the lead. 
He advances, closely followed by a few of the others, 
with head erect, and apparently intent on examining 
the locality. When he has satisfied himself he enters 
the river, the rest of the herd crowd after him, and 
in a few minutes the surface is covered with them. 
Wolves, bears, and foxes hang upon the flanks and 
rear of these great migratory bodies, and prey upon 
the stragglers, and invariably many casualties occur 
at the fords where the weak. or wounded animal is 
swept away by the current.” 
A graphic account is given, by the same author, of 
the migration of Reindeer as observed by him in his 
journey through the stony Tundra, near the river 
Baranicha, in north-eastern Siberia. 
“T had hardly finished the observation,” he writes, 
“‘when my whole attention was called to a highly 
interesting, and to me a perfectly novel spectacle. 
Two large migrating bodies of Reindeer passed us at 
no great distance. They were descending the hills 
