REIN-DEER. 85 



a sandy brown ; but the under parts in both sexes are 

 whitish. 



Rein-Deer. Of the Rein-Deer it has been remarked, 

 that to the inhabitants of Lapland it supplies, amongst 

 various other uses, the place of the horse, in conveying 

 them over extensive tracts of country ; of the cow in 

 yielding them milk ; and of the sheep in furnishing them 

 with clothes. A Rein-Deer, yoked to a sledge, is able 

 to move with almost the rapidity of the wind over frozen 

 snow ; and, in general, is to be guided and directed with- 

 out difficulty. The more wealthy of the Laplanders 

 have numerous herds of these animals, sometimes amount- 

 ing to several hundreds. In the summer-time they feed 

 on grass and other plants; but during winter, on a kind 

 of moss, which grows upon the ground, called Rein-Deer 

 liverwort, and for which the animals are obliged to dig 

 through the snow, by means of their feet and horns. But 

 when the snows are too deep to admit of this, they sub- 

 sist on another kind of moss, or liverwort, which grows 

 upon the branches of trees. They are collected together 

 every morning and evening, for the purpose of being 

 milked. Rein-Deer begin to breed at the age of two 

 years, and generally produce two young ones at a birth. 

 These, when about four years old, are trained to labour, 

 and continue serviceable for four or five years. It 

 has been attempted to introduce Rein-Deer into parks in 

 England ; but although they have bred, and continued 

 for a while to do well, none of the attempts have hitherto 

 proved successful. Rein-Deer are found wild in the 

 mountainous parts of the north of Europe, Asia, and 

 America. 



The height of these animals is about four feet and a 

 half. The horns are long, slender, and branched, and 



