150 



The Jol-rnal of Heredity 



AN OLD MALE SIBERL\N REINDEER. 



The reindeer is the only member of the deer family that has been domesticated, and shares 

 with the dog the honor of being the only domesticated animal of the far North. Its genus 

 (Ran^ifer) is the only one of the deer family in which the females, as well as the males, 

 regularly possess antlers. Under ordinary conditions it lives to the age of 10 or 12 years, 

 and furnishes food, clothing and labor to its native owners. It can draw 250 to 300 lbs. on 

 a sled and travel all day at the rate of 10 miles an hour: its pace is an awkward, straddling 

 walk, rarely a gallop. (Figure 1.) 



this line in some districts where it 

 appears that from lack of care in the 

 selection of breedinj.^ animals, the domes- 

 ticated deer are decreasing in '^izc and 

 developing other signs of degeneracy. 

 The native caribou are superior in size 

 and vigor to the imported animals. 

 There seems to be no evidence as to 

 whether they can actually be domesti- 

 cated, l)ut tlr.Tc should l)e no dinicnlty 



in em]Dloying them to infuse new blood 

 into the hercl of tame deer, should that 

 seem (k'sirablc. 



MUCH LAND AVAILABLE. 



Here would seem to be an opportunity 

 for some broadly conceived scientific and 

 ])ractical government work of large 

 economic possibilities : A region sparsely 

 occupied i)\- a wortlu' and needy race, 



