Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 81 



Rangifer caribou (Gmel.). 



Woodland Caribou. 



[Cervus tarandiis] caribou Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I, 1788, p. 177. 



Rangifer caribou Audubon Sz Bachman, Quadrupeds N. Amcr., Ill, 1854, p. in. 

 Baird, Mammals N. Amer., 1857, p. 633 (Isle Royale, Michigan). Miles, 

 Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., i860 (1861), p. 222 (Michigan). Gillman, Amer. Nat., 

 VII, 1873, p. 751 (Isle Royale, Michigan). Miller, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. 

 Hist., XXVIII, 1897, p. 40 (North shore Lake Superior). Adams, Rept. State 

 Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 131 (Michigan). lb., 1908 (1909), 

 p. 390 (Isle Royale, Michigan). 



Rangifer tarandus Lapham, Trans. Wis. State Agr. vSoc, II, 1852 (1853), p. 340 

 (Wisconsin). Herrick, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 

 274 (Minnesota). 



Rangifer Caribou Hov, Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts & Letters, V, 1882, p. 256 (Wis- 

 consin). 



Type locality — Eastern Canada. 



Dislribiitioii — Wooded portions of British America and northern 

 portions of Maine, Montana and Minnesota; formerly casual or 

 accidental in extreme northern Michigan and Wisconsin. 



Description — Adult male in summer: xA.ntlers large, irregular and 

 variable, the branches much flattened and palmate; nose entirely 

 covered with hair; hair on throat long; general color dark brown, 

 much paler on the neck; lower part of abdomen, inside of legs and 

 a space above the hoofs white. 



In winter: General color decidedly more gray and head 

 and neck grayish white. Female has antlers like the male but 

 smaller. 



Measurements — Adult male: Length, 6 to 6}4 feet; height at shoulder, 

 42 to 48 inches; length of antlers, generally from 32 to 42 inches. 



There is no reason to doubt the occurrence of the Woodland Caribou 

 in early days in northern Wisconsin, but at the present time, if it occurs 

 at all, it must be considered as an exceedingly rare straggler. 



Dr. Hoy states: "The Woodland Caribou, Rangifer Caribou, were 

 probably never numerous within the limits of the state, a few, however, 

 were seen near La Point in 1840, none since" {I.e., p. 256). Inaletter 

 to me under date of January 13, 1910, Mr. W. J. Webster, Superintendent 

 of Schools, Park Falls, Price County, Wisconsin, writes, "A Caribou 

 was killed in this county near White River, sometimes called Wide 

 River, by a homesteader whose name I have forgotten. I think 

 that the place was somewhere about ten miles southeast of Ashland." 



Mr. R. E. Boll of Channing, Dickinson County, Michigan (about 

 18 miles from the Wisconsin state line), writes, "A cow Caribou was 



