HABIT AND DOMESTICATION. 



All of the deer family are easily tamed. In a wild state they 

 flee from man and all their natural enemies, and except during 

 the rutting season they are peaceable among themselves. When 

 stimulated and even goaded on by their passions during the rut, 

 the males become very belligerent towards each other, but this 

 arises from jealousy or rivalry alone, for even at this season 

 their timidity generally restrains them from attacking other 

 animals. 



THE MOOSE. 

 From this general remark we may possibly except the Moose, 

 whose great size and strength emboldens him in rare instances so 

 as to make him voluntarily attack even men, during the rutting 

 season. Dr. Gilpin says : " Towards the end of the rut some few 

 bulls become infuriated, attacking the cow equally with the 

 bull, — attacking everything."^ Some other authors make simi- 

 lar statements ; but the general conclusion is that the Moose very 

 rarely attacks the hunter in the woods unless he is both wounded 

 and very hardly pressed, seeing no reasonable chance for escape. 

 He does not attack from rage or for revenge but for defense. 

 There are, however, a few cases recorded where the wounded 

 Moose has pursued and attacked the hunter, but such cases are 

 very exceptional. In domestication, like the other members of 

 this family, they lose their fear of man to a certain extent, when, 

 at particular seasons, they are inclined to attack him. Mr. Mor- 

 row writes me : " When a boy, I recollect that a Moose which 

 was brought from the country in a semi-domesticated state and 

 kept in a barn adjoining my father's house (I think in the latter 

 part of the month of September), would attack any one who, 

 while visiting it, showed any signs of fear." We may safely con- 

 clude that it is not from an innocent disposition but from a lack of 

 courage that they do not attack the hunter in the forest. From 

 timidity or fear they flee from him. If this is lost by intercourse 

 with him, their naturally wicked disposition asserts itself. This 

 timidity is much overcome, no doubt, by the stimulant of desire 

 during the rut, but it is not destroyed. Then they are the more 

 easily provoked and are much the most dangerous. Then they 



1 On the Mammalia of No c a Scotia, p. IIL 



