HEIGHT OF THE MOOSE DEEE. 55 



but in northern New Hampshire, Vermont, and north- 

 eastern New York State, where, a quarter of a century 

 since, moose were plentiful, I doubt if at the present date 

 a single specimen can be found. Such is the result of 

 civilisation and the influx of the white man. 



The size to which the moose -deer grows has been 

 variously stated. Audubon says over twenty hands ; Mr. 

 Hays, an animal artist of great talent, and who has spent 

 many years studying his profession in the native haunts 

 of all the subjects he has used his brush upon, informs 

 me that he has known animals to grow much larger. 

 From this gentleman's experience as a hunter and 

 naturalist, I have not the slightest doubt that he is cor- 

 rect. However, I believe about sixteen and a half hands 

 to be the average height of a full-grown male, but that 

 certain localities possibly where greater abundance of the 

 most suitable food is to be found produce much larger 

 animals. All the moose that I have heard of being killed 

 in Labrador where the winters are particularly severe and 

 vegetation sparse have been smaller than those shot in 

 the State of Maine; nor can I see any reason to doubt 

 such being the case. We know how other genera are 

 affected by such local peculiarities, and why should this 

 animal be an exception ? 



It is the habit of sportsmen and naturalists to praise 

 the appearance of the moose. My own impression is that 

 there is no animal more ungainly, awkward-looking, and 

 apparently disproportioned. That he is admirably con- 

 structed for the part he has to play in life there is no 

 question, but the very requisites with which he is endowed 



