819 



CERVID^E. 



CEHVID.E. 



800 



the evergreen leaves of the Gualtheria Shallon form, according to 

 Lewis and Clark, a favourite part of the food of the moose-deer. 



Mr. Lloyd (' Field Sports of the North of Europe,' vol. ii.) observes 

 that the Elk was at one time numerous in most parts of Sweden 

 and Norway ; but owing to the increased population and other 

 causes it is now only to be met with in particular districts. In 

 Scania, he adds, the most southern province of Sweden, where elks 

 once abounded, none are now to be found. 



M. Nilsson states that the Elk cannot endure so cold a climate as 

 the stag, 64 of latitude being the extreme limit at which it is met 

 with in the Scandinavian peninsula. 



Mr. Lloyd states that the period of gestation is about nine months, 

 and that the female brings forth about the middle of May from one 

 to three young ones ; but it is seldom that she has more than two. 

 At this period the mother retires alone to the wildest recesses of 

 the forest. After a lapse of two or three days, the fawns, which are 

 of a light brown colour, have sufficient strength to follow their dam 

 everywhere ; they keep with her until they are in their third year, 

 when she leaves them to shift for themselves. 



Mr. Lloyd thus describes the habits and uses of the European Elk : 

 " The elk is a long-lived animal ; he does not attain to his full 

 growth until after his fourteenth year. At least so it is to be 

 presumed, as up to that period his horns, which are of a flat form, 

 are annually provided with an additional branch. He sheds his 

 horns about the month of February in each year. The female elk, 

 unlike the rein-deer of that sex, has no horns. The horns of the 

 young male elk are perceptible nine months after its birth : for the 

 first year they are cylindrical and short; the second year they are 

 about a foot in length, but not branched ; the third year two points 

 are discernible ; the fourth year three ; the fifth year they are full 

 grown in length. From that time forward they yearly increase in 

 breadth and in the number of branches until there are as many as 

 fourteen on each horn. 



" By nature the elk is timorous, and he usually flies at the sight 

 of man. In the rutting season, however, like other animals of the 

 deer kind, he is at times rather dangerous. His weapons are his 

 horns and hoofs ; he strikes so forcibly with the latter as to annihilate 

 a wolf or other large animal at a single blow. It is said that when 

 the elk is incensed, the hair on his neck bristles up like the mane of 

 a lion, which gives him a wild and frightful appearance. 



" The usual pace of the elk is a high shambling trot, and his strides 

 are immense, but I have known him when frightened to go at a 

 tremendous gallop. In passing through thick woods he carries his 

 horns horizontally, to prevent them from being entangled in the 

 branches. From the formation of his hoofs he makes a great clattering, 

 like the rein-deer when in rapid motion. In the summer season the 

 elk usually resorts to morasses and low situations; for, like other 

 animals of the deer kind, he frequently takes to the water in warm 

 weather ; he is an admirable swimmer. In the winter time he retires 

 to the more sheltered parts of the forest, where willow, ash, &c. are 

 to be found ; as from the small boughs of these trees he obtains his 

 sustenance during that period of the year. In the summer and 

 autumn the elk is often to be met with in small herds, but in the 

 winter there are seldom more than two or three in company. At 

 the latter season indeed he is frequently alone. 



" The flesh of the elk, whether fresh or smoked, is very excellent ; 

 the young are particularly delicious. According to Mr. Nilsson, it 

 resembles in taste that of the stag. The tongue and the nose are 

 thought to be great delicacies in Scandinavia as well as in America. 

 Great virtue was once placed in the hoof of that animal, as parings 

 of it were supposed to be a specific against the falling sickness and 

 otlirr disorders; but this idle notion must by this time, I should 

 think, be nearly exploded. The skin is convertible to many purposes, 

 and is very valuable. Mr. Greiff says : ' It is not long since that a 

 regiment wns clothed with waistcoats made from the hides of those 

 animals, which were so thick that a ball could scarcely penetrate 

 them.' He adds further, that ' when made into breeches, a pair of 

 them among the peasantry of former days went as a legacy for 

 stveral generations.' 



" The elk is easily domesticated : several instances have come to 

 my knowledge. I had a fawn in my own possession a year ago, but 

 from want of proper nurture it died. Formerly these animals were 

 made use of in Sweden to draw sledges, but owing, as it was said, to 

 their speed frequently accelerating the escape of people who had been 

 guilty of murders, or other crimes, the use of them was prohibited 

 under great penalties. Though I apprehend those ordinances if not 

 abrogated are obsolete, I am not aware that the elk is ever made use 

 of in that kingdom at the present day, either to draw a sledge or 

 for cither domestic purposes. 



" In Sweden, as I have observed, it is contrary to law at this 

 particular time to kill the elk at any season of the year: this is not 

 the case in Norway ; for in that country as 1 have just shown, these 

 animals may be destroyed with certain limitations as to numbers, 

 from the .1st of July to the 1st of November inclusive. The penalty 

 IIOWC-VIT for killing an elk out of season in Norway is very much 

 heavier than in Sweden; it amounts indeed, including legal expenses, 

 Ac., to about 20/., which is no in<:on.-i<l<'ralilu num in that kingdom." 

 (Lloyd, 'Northern Field Sports,' vol. ii. p. 329 et seq.) 



SAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. I. 



2. Tarandus Ranyifer (Bonaparte), the Rein-Deer. This animal has a 

 multitude of synonyms. It is the Arm Tarandus, Linnaeus ; Cervus 

 Ranyifer, Ray; Ctrr\isGr<enlandwu3,T$nsson; Ccrvuscoronatus, Geoffrey; 

 Ranyifer Tarandus, Gray ; C'ervuspalmatuj, Johnston ; Tarandus, Pliny ; 

 Ranyifer, Gesner; the Rein-Deer, Caribou, and Greenland Buck of 

 English writers ; Renthier, Renhirsch of the Germans ; Renne of 

 Bufl'on ; Carrebcouf of the French Canadians ; and Oleen of the 

 Russians. Several varieties have been recognised ; amongst others, a 

 small variety which goes by the following names : 



1. Woodland Caribou. 



2. Great Caribou of the Rocky Mountains. 



3. Labrador or Polar Caribou. 



4. Siberian Rein-Deer. 



5. Newfoundland Caribou. 



On this animal Dr. J. E. Gray observes that it " varies exceedingly 

 in size. In the British Museum there are specimens varying from 

 41 to 50 inches high at the withers." 



Richardson observes, " There are two well-marked and permanent 

 varieties of Caribou that inhabit the Fur Countries : one of them 

 (Woodland Caribou) confined to the woody and more southern district ; 

 and the other (Barren-Ground Caribou) retiring to the woods only 

 in the winter, but passing the summer on the coast of the Arctic 

 Seas, or on the Barren Grounds so often mentioned in this work." 

 ('Faun. Bor.-Amer.,' p. 299.) 



The large Siberian variety is ridden on by the Tungusians. They 

 also use them for draught, as the Laplanders do the smaller 

 variety. 



They have a large variety in Newfoundland, nearly as large as a 

 heifer. They- have very large and heavy horns. There are some 

 horns of this variety in the British Museum. Dr. Mildeudorf 

 informed Dr. J. E. Gray that the horns of the large Siberian variety 

 were as large as and greatly resembled the horns from Newfoundland 

 in the Museum collection. 



Pallas observes, " America; forte continue, gregatim verno temporo 

 per glacies admigrant, p;uilo diversi a Siberia urguibinis et vero- 

 simillime American!." (' Zool. Ross. Asiat.' L 208.) 



In winter the hair of the Rein-Deer is long, thick, gray-brown ; 

 neck, rump, belly, ring round the hoof, and end of nose, white. In 

 summer the same animal has short dark sooty-brown hair, with the 

 parts which are white in winter being rather paler gray-brown. 



The tame Rhendeer, or Rein-Deer, of the Laplanders, is, according 

 to Hoff berg (' Amacn. Acad.,' vol. iv.), at the end of his back an ell 

 and a half high, and his length, from horns to tail, is two ells, whilst 

 from the navel to the back -bone he measures three-quarters of an ell. 

 On casting his coat his hair is at first brownish-yellow, but as the 

 dog-days approach it becomes whiter, till it is at last almost entirely 

 white. Round the eye the colour is always black. The longest hair 

 is under the neck ; the mouth, tail, and parts near the latter are white, 

 and the feet, at the insertion of the hoof, are surrounded with a white 

 ring. The hair of the body is so thick that the skin cannot be seen 

 when it is put aside, for it stands erect, as in other animals of the same 

 genus, but is much thicker. When the hair is cast it does not come 

 away with the root, but breaks at the base. 



The horns are cylindrical, with a short branch behind, compressed 

 at the top and palmated with many segments, beginning to curve 

 back in the middle, and an ell and a quarter long. A single branch 

 sometimes, but seldom two, springs from each horn in front, very near 

 the base, frequently equalling the length of the head, compressed 

 at the top and branched. The distance between the tips equals the 

 length. 



The horns of the female are like those of the male, but less, more 

 slender, and not so much branched. She has four true paps and two 

 false ones. 



The horns grow in the usual manner, and during the early part of 

 their growth are extremely sensible, and suffer from the clouds of 

 gnats (Culcx pipiem) that form one of the persecutions of both deer 

 and owner. About autumn, before rutting time, they have become 

 hard, and the velvet is rubbed off. Towards the end of November 

 the male loses his horns, but the female retains hers till she brings 

 forth; if barren, she drops them in the beginning of November. 

 The wild animal grows to a much larger size than those which are 

 tamed. 



Geographical Distribution. Northern Europe, Asia, and America. 

 Captain James Clark Ross, in the Appendix to Sir John Ross's ' Last 

 Voyage,' says that although this animal was seen in great numbers on 

 the isthmus of Boothia, only one individual was killed in the course 

 of their late voyage. It was a fine buck, of larger size than ordinary, 

 and weighed 250 Ibs. ; the average of those killed at Spitzbergen and 

 Melville Island did not exceed half that weight. The does arrive 

 about the middle of April, the bucks nearly a month later ; and herds 

 of several hundreds were seen about the isthmus towards the end or 

 May. Although they migrate towards the middle of September to 

 milder climes, yet stragglers are occasionally seen in the winter. 

 They are indeed spread, as Mr. Bennett observes, " abundantly 

 through all the habitable parts of the arctic regions and the neigh- 

 bouring countries, extending in the New Continent to a much lower 

 latitude than in the Old, and passing still farther south on all the 

 principal mountain chains. In America the southern limit of the 



3 I 



