130 THE MOOSE. 



streams and studded with lakes and swamps, which 

 both afford the requisite food and a refuge from the 

 attacks of the insects from which the animal suffers 

 great annoyance. The birch, the willow, the striped 

 maple, as well as the shoots and fronds of several other 

 kinds of trees and shrubs and the succulent leaves and 

 stalks of the pond lily, contribute to the subsistence of 

 the moose. 



" In colour, the moose, in common with others of the 

 deer tribe, varies somewhat with the season, and also 

 with the sex. The bull is a tawny brown on the 

 thighs, sides, back, and head ; and in some specimens, 

 probably the result of age, this has deepened until it 

 becomes a jet black. Beneath the body the hair is 

 much lighter in colour. The cow is of a light sandy 

 colour above, which fades almost to white underneath. 



" The calves of this species are of a sandy hue, and 

 like the young of the ordinary American deer, they are 

 spotted. The spots in the moose, however, are so faintly 

 marked as scarcely to attract attention. As I have ob- 

 served, the moose is an ungraceful-looking animal. His 

 legs are long, while his neck seems disproportionately 

 short. His ears, which are a marked feature, are broad, 

 and nearly a foot in length. His eyes are small, and are 

 capable of assuming a most malignant expression. The 

 muzzle is square, and is deeply cleft, assuming the 

 appearance of being bifid. 



"The upper lip of this animal projects beyond the 

 lower several inches, and is extremely prehensile. 



