The Caribou 283 



reindeer of Scandinavia, which is the typical form 

 of these animals and characterized by Linnaeus as 

 Rangifer tarandas. It is nearest allied to the 

 Barren-Ground caribou of all the forms found on 

 the North American continent, but is a larger, 

 stouter animal and will weigh from two hundred 

 and fifty to three hundred and twenty pounds. 

 In the style of the antlers there is a great resem- 

 blance to those of the Barren-Ground caribou, but 

 they are heavier. It extends its range into Russia, 

 but in certain parts of Asia it appears to be re- 

 placed by a larger form that in Siberia approaches 

 in size and appearance our Woodland caribou. 



The reindeer is regarded as distinct from the 

 North American forms and stands as the type 

 of the genus. In the island of Spitzbergen there 

 is yet another form of reindeer that seems to 

 have more claims to be regarded as a distinct 

 species than have the great majority of its kindred. 

 While the antlers approximate the Scandinavian 

 type, they are smaller and with a shorter beam. 

 But the chief characteristic is the shape of the 

 nasal bones, which are expanded at both extremi- 

 ties and greatly constricted in the middle, and 

 there is also a difference in the superior border, 

 thus varying greatly in shape from the nasals of 

 the Scandinavian deer, which increase regularly 

 in width from the anterior end to the maximum 

 diameter of the lachrymal vacuities. 



