HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 291 



the water to escape the sting of gnats, &c, and to 

 feed without stooping- Its usual food in winter con- 

 sists of the buds and bark of button-wood, spruce, and 

 juniper pines, birch and maple, and under the snow it 

 seeks stink wood (Anagyris foetida) and mosses, but 

 this is always with difficulty, for then it is obliged to 

 spread the fore legs, or even it is said to kneel. The 

 branches of trees it turns down with the horns very 

 dexterously ; but to get at the ground we have been 

 assured by Huron and the Canadian hunters, when 

 the snow has fallen only a foot or two in depth, that 

 the herd, led by an old male, shovel it back, and throw 

 it over their heads, the snow falling on either side, as 

 it slides from the inclined planes of the back of their 

 horns ; meantime the fore feet of all are equally en- 

 gaged in striking it from under them. 



During a part of the year, the herd consists of an 

 old female, two adult females, two young females, and 

 two young males ; but during the snowy periods, at 

 least in America, one or more adult males are certainly 

 among them, very old males alone keeping aloof un- 

 til the rutting season, unless the winter be very severe. 

 Several of these families keep near each other, and 

 in very cold weather they seek cover together, and 

 remain closely pressed against each other, or trot in a 

 circle till they have beaten the snow down. When 

 the rutting period commences, which is about the be- 

 ginning of September, the old males seek the females, 

 and expel the young, who are obliged to keep aloof 

 while the animals remain in heat. At this time they 

 will swim rivers in pursuit of the females, or after 

 them to remain concealed in some of the Lake Islands. 

 The males are then very pugnacious ; they bellow of- 

 ten and sink in flesh. The gravid females bring forth 



