REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION 



This species of deer is said to be the only one in which the female has horns. 

 The fawns, also, have horns already, six inches to a foot long, with a few 

 blunt, knobby branches beginning to sprout. All are now in the velvet, some 

 of which is beginning to peel oft" and hang in loose shreds about the heads of 

 some of them, producing a very singular appearance, as if they had been fight- 

 ing a rag-bag. 



The so-called velvet is a close, soft, downy fur, black in colour, and very 

 fine and silky, about three-eighths or half an inch long, with a few hairs nearly 

 an inch in length rising stiffly here and there over the general plushy surface. 

 All the branches of their horns are covered, giving an exceedingly rich and 

 beautiful effect. The eyes are large, and in expression confiding and gentle. 

 The head, contrary to many preconceived notions derived from engravings, is, 

 on the whole, delicately formed, and muzzle long and straight, blunt and cow- 

 like. The neck is thin, tapering but little, rather deep, and held, while standing 

 at ease, sloping down a little, and the large males have long hair on the under 

 side. The body is round, almost cylindrical — the belly not at all bloated or 

 bent out like that of a cow. The legs are stout, but not clumsy, and taper 

 finely into the muscles of the shoulders and hips. The feet are very broad and 

 spreading, making a track about as large as a cow's. This enables the animal 

 to walk over boggy tundras in summer and over snow in winter. 



In colour they vary as much in some specimens as do cattle and horses, 

 showing white, brown, black and gray at the same time. The prevailing colour 

 is nearly black in summer, brownish-white in winter. The colours of the tame 

 animals are not so constant as those of the wild. The hair is, when full growm, 

 very heavy, with fine wool at the bottom, thus making a warm covering sufficient 

 to enable the animal to resist the keenest frosts of the Arctic winter without 

 any shelter beyond the lee side of a rock or hill. 



After walking through the midst of the herd, the boys selected a rather 

 small specimen to be killed. One caught it by the hind leg, just as sheep are 

 caught, and dragged it backward out of the herd ; then the other boy took it by 

 the horns and led it away a few yards from the herd, no notice being taken of 

 its struggles by its companions, nor was any tendency to take fright observed, 

 such as would, under the circumstances, have been shown by any of the common 

 domestic animals. The mother alone looked after it eagerly, and further mani- 

 fested her concern and aftection by uttering a low, grunting sound, and by trying 

 to follow it. 



After it was slain they laid it on its side, one of the women brought forward 

 a branch of willow about a foot long, with the green leaves on it, and put it under 

 the animal's head. Then she threw four or five handfuls of the blood, from the 

 knife-wound back of the shoulder, out over the ground to the southward, making 

 me get out of the way, as if this direction were the only proper one. Next she 

 took a cupful of water and poured a little on its mouth and tail and on the wound. 

 While this ceremony was being performed all the family looked serious, but 

 as soon as it was over they began to laugh and chat as before. The herd, during 

 the time of the killing and dressing, were tranquilly chewing their cud, not 

 noticing even the smell of the blood, which makes cattle so frantic. 



One of our party was anxious to procure a young one alive to take home 

 with him, but they would not sell one alive at any price. When we inquired 

 the reason they said that if they shouPd part with one, all the rest of the herd 

 would die, and the same thing would happen if they were to part with the head 

 of one. This they excitedly declared was true, for they had seen it proved many 



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