330 COXTBIBrTIOX TO THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE MAMMOTH. 



the tusk in the Beresovka ^Mammoth, as -svell as the secondarr more 

 extensive abrasions, could have only arisen through the ciroamstance 

 that the animal used its developing tusks, and later the downward- 

 directed tips, for detaching its food. ^Vliile for a larjg:e part of the 

 year ice and snow covered its northern feeding grojuid, it could, by 

 means of its tusks, dig up out of the snow its food, consisting mainly of 

 grasses and higher plants, shrubs, etc.. and indeed in wandering about. 



Fig. 3b. — Tusk of mammoth in St. Petersburg Museum. 



tossing and scraping away the snow and ice with its tusks, it collected 

 its food together and then took it in with its trunk. I often wit- 

 nessed the same among the tame reindeer, which at this time of year 

 beside freeing their food with the front hoofs also in similar manner 

 by strokes and scraping with the downward-directed shovel-like 

 brow-tines of their antlers. The lower ends of these brow-tine 

 shovels were abraded through their use in snow and ice, mixed with 

 stones, sand, etc., and the harder the antlers the more the}" were 



