^6 CLU ADRUPEDS. 



4eer has horns as well as the male, by which the fpecies is diftinguiflied 

 from every animal of the deer kind. 



When the rein-deer firft fhed their coat they are brown ; but, as 

 fummer approaches, their hair grows whitiihj and at lad, nearly grey. 

 They are, however, always black about the eyes. The neck has long 

 hair, hanging down, and coarfer than other parts. The feet, at the in- 

 fertion of the hoof, are furrounded with a ring of white. The hair in 

 general ftands fo thick over the body, that if one fliould attempt to fe- 

 parate it, the Ikin will no where appear uncovered : when it falls, it 

 feems broken fhort near the bottom ; fo that the lower part of the hair 

 remains. 



The horns of the female are like thofe of the male, but they are 

 fmaller and lefs branching. As in other deer, they fprout from the 

 points ; and alfo are furnifhed with an hairy bark, which fupports the 

 blood-veflels, of mod exquifite fenfibility. The rein-deer Hied their 

 horns, at the latter end of November; and are not completely furnilhed 

 again till towards autumn. The female retains hers till llie brings 

 forth. 



In Lapland this animal is of the greateft advantage, where it forms the 

 riches of the inhabitants, fome of whom poiTefs herds of a ihoufand ; 

 their great enemies are the innumicrable fwarms of gnats which infeft the 

 lower grounds in fummer, and even drive them from their paftures 

 to the mountains, where the gnats fear to come becaufe of the cold. 



Befides the gnat, there is a gadfly, no lefs formidable and often fatal. 

 This fly is bred under their fkins, where the egg has been depofited 

 the preceding fummer j and is no fooner produced than it endeavours 

 to depofite its eggs in a place flmilar to that from whence it came. 

 Whenever, therefore, this fly appears over an herd of rein-deer, it ter- 

 rifies the whole body j they know their enemy, and by toITing their horns, 

 and running among each other, endeavour to avoid it, or run for fhelter 

 to the mountains j they have alfo enemies in the beads of the foreft, and 

 have difeafes fome of wiiich are fudden, contagious, and incurable. 



The female brings forth in the middle of May, and gives milk till 

 about the middle of Oftober. Every morning and evening, during 

 fummer, theherdfman returns to the cottage with his deer to be milked, 

 where the women have previoufly kindled a fmoky fire, which drives off 

 the gnats, and keeps the rein-deer quiet. The female yields about a 

 pint, then the herdfman drives them back to feed ; neither folds nor 

 houfes them, neither provides their fubfifl:ence, nor cultivates their pafture, 



•« ■ Thei^' 



