REINDEER AND MUSK-OX 



The older animals are very much infested with the blow-fly, which secretes 

 itself under the hair and comes out in the summer. This usually causes the hair 

 to come out in large patches when same is made into rugs. Dr. Rutherford is 

 well acquainted with this fly, and after his interesting explanation to me in 

 Ottawa, upon the way in which this fly works, I am sure it is needless for me to 

 add further remarks in this connection. 



Good reindeer skins are selling for about £2, about $10 each. Some of the 

 young skins without traces of the fly were sold for double this, for the making of 

 clothing. 



Breeding. — From my own observations they appear to have three or four 

 calves, and the herds are collected in the fall and branded, and either killed or 

 altered according to the owners' requirements. 



Age. — Some of the ones we were driving were about eight years old, but 

 they commence to drive them at two years old. From my own observations, I 

 would not consider that the altering of these animals causes them to grow to 

 large size, as the wild ones I came across seem to be the larger type. 



Temperature. — The weather where these reindeer are goes down to as low 

 as 60 below zero in the winter, and there w^as between four and six feet of packed 

 snow when I was there. In the summer it is just as warm, and the reindeer are 

 then turned loose and collected again in the fall. 



I trust this information will be useful to you, and if there are any queries in 

 regard to same which arise in your mind, I shall be glad to hear from you. 



My address, from about the middle of November until about the end, 

 will be care of Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, and I shall have pleasure in calling 

 upon you during that period. 



Yours faithfully, 



(Sgd.) A. ALLANACH, 



Captain. 



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