

The Moose. 



ANTLERED TENANTS OF THE 



quoted says : " A fall-grown moose slieds his horns in the 



month of January, and they are not restored again until 



the end of August. By this time the velvet has been 



worn off, and the 



horns are a rich 



fawn-color, shaded 



or marked with 



dark brown, and 



polished by hav- 



ing been rubbed 



on the stems of 



the poplar and 



larch. The fights 



which now occur 



between the old 



males are terrific. Greek has met Greek, and the com- 



bat is often prolonged until their horns become inextrica- 



bly interlaced, and both animals die a miserable death. 



13. " Early in May, the cow-moose brings forth two, 

 sometimes three calves, of a dark fawn-color, and slightly 

 dappled. It has been affirmed that the cow-moose retires 

 to some sequestered spot, in order to protect her young 

 from the attacks of bears, and also of the bull-moose ; but 

 I am of opinion that the latter is not, at any time, very 

 distant from the cow and her calves. On one occasion, 

 in the early summer, I saw an old cow-moose with two 

 calves come out from an island in a lake and disport in 

 the water. Presently a bull-moose came out of the forest, 

 at a little distance from them, and began to eat the roots 

 of the yellow pond-lily, which he procured by diving for 

 them and bringing them to the surface of the water in his 

 teeth. While he was still feeding the cow and her calves 

 retired," 



