90 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



the females later still, and until after they have dropped their 

 young. 



When I come to treat of the antlers of the deer as a distinct 

 subject, and compare each with the other, I shall compare the 

 antlers of the European reindeer with our own, when it will ap- 

 pear that the European are appreciably less palmated than the 

 American ; still I agree with those who find no specific difference 

 between the reindeer of Europe and our Woodland Caribou. 



The forms of the feet and hind legs enable them to travel over 

 the deep snows better than any other ruminant of their size. 

 The foot itself is very broad and thin, and the same is true of 

 the accessory or hind hoof, which on this animal seems to serve 

 a real purpose. In traveling through the snows, or soft marshy 

 ground, the Caribou throws his hind feet forward, so as to bring 

 the leg into something of a horizontal position, spreads wide his 

 claws, and broad accessory hoofs, and thus presents an extraordi- 

 nary bearing surface to sustain him on the yielding ground, and 

 so he is enabled to shuffle along with great rapidity, where any 

 other large quadruped would mire in a bog, or become absolutely 

 snow-bound. The Reindeer alone leaves in his track the marks 

 of all four of his hoofs belonging to each hind foot, and specimens 

 show the effects of attrition on these secondary hoofs, and prove 

 that they serve a useful purpose in the economy of the animal. 



The white band around the lower part of each leg, extending 

 up so as to embrace the hind hoofs, and even slightly above them, 

 is an interesting mark. Its regularity and uniformity at once 

 distinguishes it from the erratic and irregular white observed 

 about the feet of the Virginia deer, and very rarely on the wa- 

 piti deer, while it is entirely wanting about the feet of all the 

 other Cervidse, so far as my investigations enable me to speak. 

 The dress of this animal is admirably adapted to the rigors of 

 the climate in which he winters. The hairs are long and spongy, 

 containing a large amount of confined air. As the season ad- 

 vances, they grow in diameter so that they become very dense, 

 even to the degree of forcing them to a certain extent into an 

 erect position. Underneath is a dense coat of fur, like that of 

 the American elk. The hairs are crinkled, and terminate with 

 a sharp point, being coarser in full winter costume than those 

 found on most of the other members of this family. 



The skin is thin, and makes soft, pliable leather, and is highly 

 prized by the natives for clothing, and, when properly tanned 

 with the hair on, makes a suit almost impervious to the cold. 



