The Moose 307 



with ease. The moose knew his situation per- 

 fectly. There were wolves to his right, left, and 

 rear, but he simply miscalculated his ability to 

 gain the opposite side of the river. Knowing the 

 cunning of these animals, I believe his object in 

 crossing the river was to reach some locality he 

 knew, and where he would have a greater advan- 

 tage over his enemies than in the country where 

 they first disturbed him. Perhaps the snow was 

 not of sufficient depth in the section he was leav- 

 ing to give him the advantage he wanted, and he 

 knew a locality in which it was. Animals are much 

 better reasoners than generally supposed, and the 

 moose is one of the deepest of the animal king- 

 dom. 



During the summer and autumn the moose of 

 Lower Canada and Maine feed extensively on 

 pond-lilies and other succulent plants which grow 

 in the marshy lakes and around the water's edge, 

 and it is not uncommon for them to shove their 

 heads completely under water in search of this 

 kind of food. 1 This character of plant life is 

 much less common in the farther North, and the 

 moose do not seem to feed upon it where it does 

 occur. I saw pond-lilies growing in the Dease 



1 The moose does on occasion, when feeding in a lake or pond, go 

 completely under the water and out of sight after an especially suc- 

 culent lily root. This is disputed by some, but it is a fact, none the 

 less- — Editor. 



