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Creatfurg cf Natural $H 



kill them with darts, pursuing them in their 

 little boats, watching their course by the air 

 bubbles when they dive, and always strik- 

 ing at them when they rise to the surface 

 wearied. Their flesh is eaten by the Green- 

 landers, but it tastes strongly of fish ; the 

 eggs, however, are much esteemed. The 

 female lays from six to eight eggs, in a rock- 

 built nest, lined with her own exquisite 

 down ; but the eggs and the down are both 

 frequently obtained at the hazard of life by 

 people let down by ropes from craggy steeps. 

 The skin, taken off, feathers and all, are used 

 by the inhabitants, for their under garments. 

 It appears that all the attempts which have 

 been made to domesticate these birds have 

 been unsuccessful. 



Another species, called the KING EIDER, 

 (Somateria spectabilis of systematic writers), 

 not much unlike the preceding, inhabits the 

 same coasts. Its beak, wattles, and legs are 

 of deep vermillion ; a straight band of velvety 

 black surrounds the base of the upper man- 

 dible of the beak ; and there is a similar 

 double band which becomes spear-shaped 

 on the throat : the top and back of the head 

 are of a fine bluish-grey ; the cheeks are 

 a brilliant sea-green ; the neck, wing-coverts, 

 and upper part of the back are pure white : 

 the scapulars, lower part of the back, wings, 

 tail, and all the under parts of the body are 

 deep black. The entire plumage of the 

 female is brown. 



ELECTRICAL EEL. [See GYMNOIUS.] 



ELK, or MOOSE DEER. (Cervus dices.) 

 Of all the animals belonging to the genus 

 Cervus, none are so large as the Elk, which 

 in size is scarcely inferior to a horse, and its 

 immense horns sometimes weigh near fifty 

 pounds. It is common to both continents, 

 inhabiting only the coldest regions, and is 

 observed to attain larger dimensions in Asia 

 and America than in Europe. It cannot 

 boast of the elegant shape so general in the 



rest of the deer tribe ; the head being dis- 

 proportionately large, the neck short and 

 thick, and the horns dilating almost imme- 

 diately from the base into a broad palmated 

 form ; while its long legs, high shoulders, 

 and heavy upper lip, hanging very much 

 over the lower, give it an imposing, although 



an uncouth rather than a majestic appear- 

 ance. The colour of the Elk is a dark 

 grayish brown, but much paler on the legs 

 and beneath the tail. The hair, which is of 

 a strong, coarse, and elastic nature, is much 

 longer on the top of the shoulders and on 

 the ridge of the neck than on other parts, 

 forming a kind of stifnsh mane ; 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. 



In Europe the Elk is found chiefly in 

 Sweden, Norway, and some parts of Russia. 

 In Asia it occurs in the woody tracts of the 

 Russian dominions, and in Siberia in par- 

 ticular it is found of a gigantic size. In 

 America it has been found as far north as 

 the country has been explored ; its southern 

 range, at former periods, extended to the 

 shores of the great lakes, and throughout 

 the New England states. At present, how- 

 ever, they are seldom heard of to the south 

 of the state of Maine : but in Nova Scotia, 

 around the Bay of Fundy, and in the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company's possessions, they are 

 found in considerable numbers. The Elk is 

 a mild and harmless animal, choosing its 

 residence in the midst of forests, and prin- 

 cipally supporting itself by browsing the 

 boughs of trees : they feed principally by 

 night ; and whenever they graze (which, on 

 account of their short neck and long legs, 

 they do with difficulty), they are observed 

 to choose an ascending ground, for the greater 

 convenience of reaching the surface with 

 their lips. 



Though naturally of a peaceable and in- 

 offensive disposition, the Elk displays a high 

 degree of courage, and even ferocity, when 

 suddenly attacked ; defending himself with 

 great vigour, not only with his horns, but 

 also by striking violently with his fore feet, 

 in the use of which he is particularly dex- 

 trous. The chase of the Elk or Moose forms 

 an important occupation among the natives 

 of North America, and is performed in dif- 

 ferent ways, some of which are as remark- 

 able for artfulness as others are for boldness 

 and dexterity : they are also often killed 

 with the gun. Their flesh is more relished 

 by the Indians, and persons resident in the 

 fur countries, than that of any other animal. 

 It bears a greater resemblance, in its flavour, 

 to beef than to venison. It is said 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 differs from all 

 other species of deer, of which the external 

 fat is hard. 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. 



" The Moose," says Mr. Gosse, the author 

 of the Canadian Naturalist, " is more shy and 

 difficult to take than any other animal. He 



