THE MOOSE. 249 



The short neck, long forelegs, nnd elongated prehensile 

 lip prove that the moose is a browser, and not a gra/cr ; 

 hence we find it only in extensive forests, where it can ob- 

 tain shelter and a variety of choice food. It is very fond 

 of dainty shrubs and the tender shoots of young trees; but 

 its favorite pabulum is the maple, which is, on this account, 

 known as moose-wood in portions of Canada and the United 

 States. Being naturally timid and wary, the moose fre- 

 quents the deepest recesses of the forest, where even the 

 most light-footed hunter can hardly approach it undetected, 

 for its huge ears and nostrils warn it instantly of danger. 

 One would scarcely credit, without proof, the distance to 

 which it can wind or hear a person in the woods; and this 

 makes stalking it a laborious, and, too often, an unsuccess- 

 ful enterprise. The most experienced hunter cannot cir- 

 cumvent it under ordinary circumstances; for should he 

 crush a dead stick under foot, brush against decayed leaves 

 or branches so as to rustle them, or be to the windward, lie 

 could not hope to capture it unless he ran it down in the 

 snow. Its sight is by no means acute, and it cannot com- 

 pete with any of its congeners in this characteristic. This 

 is evidently due to the dense and gloomy haunts which it 

 generally frequents, and where intensity of vision would be 

 useless; but this defect is atoned for by such keenness of 

 nose and ear that its loss must be little felt. 



When browsing, the animal makes a very devious path 

 that winds in every direction ; and, when it is done feed- 

 ing, it lies down to the leeward of its trails, with its head 

 to the windward. 



A hunter acquainted with its habits would not, therefore, 

 follow its tracks, but would carefully quarter the ground 

 against the wind, keep a sharp lookout, and move almost 

 as noiselessly as a cat. If persons are hunting together, 

 they are liable to bag one by these means, especially if there 

 is a stream or a lake in the vicinity. 



Moose may be sought for around woodland tarns in sum- 

 mer, as they frequent them to avoid the attacks of flies, 

 which are their greatest pests, and to feed on tho yellow 



11* 



