DEER. 



621 



tiiose permanent characteristics indicative of specific 

 constitution. The following are the only well 

 authenticated species inhabiting this country ; all the 

 others, named as distinct, being mere varieties : 

 moose. (C. alces] ; reindeer (C. tarandus) ; American 

 elk (C. Canadensis) ; common deer (C. Virginia- 

 nus] ; black-tailed deer (C. macrotis) ; long-tailed 

 deer (C. leucurus) ; Mexican deer (C. Mexicanus). 

 It should be remarked, that few American quadru- 

 peds have been found precisely similar to their Euro- 

 pean representatives, and that recent writers have 

 doubted whether the moose and reindeer of that 

 country are identical with those of Scandinavia. No 

 satisfactory comparisons of the animals from the two 

 continents have yet been made, and hence the dis- 

 tinguishing characters, if any exist, are still un- 

 known. 



The Moose, or Original of the Canadians, is, per- 

 haps, the only deer whose general appearance can 

 be called ungraceful, or whose proportions, at first 

 sight, impress the beholder unfavourably. Its large 

 head terminates in a square muzzle, having the nos- 

 trils protruded over the sides of the mouth ; the neck, 

 which is furnished with a short, thick mane, is not 

 longer than the head, which, in the males, is ren- 

 dered still more cumbrous and unwieldy by large 

 palmated horns ; under the throat is an excrescence, 

 from which issues a tuft of long hair; the body, 

 which is short and thick, is mounted on tall legs, 

 giving a very ungainly aspect to the animal, which 

 is not diminished when it is in motion, as its gait is 

 a sort of shambling trot, very efficient, however, 

 from the great length of its limbs. The moose in- 

 habits the northern parts of both continents. In 

 America, it has been found as far north as the coun- 

 try has been explored ; its southern range, at for- 

 mer periods, extended to the shores of the great 

 lakes, and throughout the New England States. Du 

 Pratz mentions that, in his time, they occurred on the 

 Ohio. At present, however, they are seldom heard 

 of to the south of the state of Maine, where, also, 

 they are becoming scarce. But in Nova Scotia, 

 around the bay of Tundy, and in the Hudson's Bay 

 company's possessions, they are found in considerable 

 numbers. Their flesh is more relished by the In- 

 dians, and persons resident in the fur countries, than 

 that of any other animal. It bears a greater resem- 

 blance, in its flavour, to beef than to venison. The 

 large and gristly extremity of the nose is accounted 

 an epicurean treat. Hearne states that the external 

 fat is soft, like that of a breast of mutton, and, when put 

 into a bladder, is as fine as marrow. In this it dif- 

 fers from all the other species of deer, of which the 

 external fat is hard. The moose attains a large size, 

 particularly the male, which sometimes weighs 

 eleven or twelve hundred pounds. Their skins, when 

 properly dressed, make a soft, thick, pliable leather, 

 which the Indians prepare by scraping them to an 

 equal thickness, and removing the hair: they are 

 then smeared with the brains of the animal, until they 

 feel soft .and spongy ; and, lastly, they are suspended 

 over a fire made of rotten wood, until they are well 

 impregnated with the smoke. 



Reindeer. These animals inhabit the arctic is- 

 lands of Spitsbergen, and the northern extremity of 

 the old continent, never having extended, according 

 to Cuvier, to the southward of the Baltic. They 

 have long been domesticated, and their appearance 

 and habits are well described by naturalists. The 

 American reindeer or caribou, are much less per- 

 fectly known : they have, however, so strong a resem- 

 blance, in form and manners, to the Lapland, deer, 

 that they have always been considered to be the 

 same species, without the fact having ever been com- 

 pletely established. The American Indians have 



never profited by the docility of this animal, to aitl 

 them in transporting their families and property, 

 though they annually destroy great numbers for 

 their flesh and hides. There appear to be several 

 varieties of this useful quadruped peculiar to the 

 high northern regions of the American continent, 

 which are ably described by doctor Richardson, one 

 of the companions of captain Franklin in his hazard- 

 ous attempt to reach the north pole by land. The 

 closeness of the hair of the caribou, and the light- 

 ness of its skin when properly dressed, render it the 

 most appropriate article for winter clothing in the 

 high latitudes. The hoofs of the reindeer are very 

 large, and spread greatly, and thus enable it to cross 

 the yielding snows without sinking. During the 

 summer months, this deer feeds upon every species 

 of green herbage ; but in winter, his whole food is 

 the lichen or moss, which he instinctively seeks 

 under the snow. It is a singular, but now a well esta- 

 blished fact, that the reindeer will eat, with avidity, 

 the lemming or mountain-rat, presenting one of the 

 few instances of a ruminating animal being, in any 

 degree, carnivorous. Reindeer have several times 

 been transported to England and Scotland in large 

 numbers, but they have invariably died, although 

 they were attended by Laplanders, and could pro- 

 cure plenty of their natural food. Whether the failure 

 arose, however, from a want of proper attention to 

 the peculiar habits of the animal, or was the natural 

 result of the tenacity with which the deer tribe 

 adhere to their original geographical position as 

 a law of nature, is a question not easy to be 

 decided. 



American Elk. This stately and beautiful animal 

 was, until very recently, confounded with the moose, 

 from its common English name being the same as 

 that applied to the European moose. The size and 

 appearance of the elk are very imposing ; his air 

 denotes confidence of great strength, whilst his 

 towering horns exhibit weapons capable of doing 

 much injury. The elk, at one period, ranged over 

 the greater part of this continent, and is still occa- 

 sionally found in the remote and thinly settled parts 

 of Pennsylvania ; but the number is small. Doc- 

 tor Richardson states that its northern range is about 

 the twenty -sixth or twenty - seventh parallel of 

 latitude. The elk has been sometimes domes- 

 ticated to a certain degree; but, at the same 

 time, from its warlike disposition, it is not likely 

 that it could be advantageously substituted for the 

 reindeer. 



Common Deer. This well known quadruped is 

 found throughout the country between Canada and 

 the banks of the Orinoco. In various parts of this ex- 

 tensive range, it presents considerable varieties in size 

 and colour. Judging by the quantity of skins brought 

 to our markets, we may form some idea of the ag- 

 gregate number and productiveness of these animals, 

 which, notwithstanding the extensive destruction of 

 them, do not appear to be very rapidly diminishing, 

 except in the immediate vicinities of very thickly 

 peopled districts. The common deer is possessed of 

 keen senses, especially of hearing and smelling : the 

 sight, though good, does not appear to equal in 

 power the senses just named. It is necessary for a 

 hunter to approach a deer against the wind, other- 

 wise he is discovered by the scent. The slightest 

 noise, also, appears to excite its fears more than any 

 other cause ; while, on the contrary, the sight of 

 unaccustomed objects seems rather to arouse curi- 

 osity than produce terror. The female commonly 

 has one or two, and sometimes three, fawns at a birth, 

 which are of a light cinnamon colour, spotted with 

 white. In the latter part of the summer, they 

 lose the white spots, and in winter the hair grows 



