THE MUSK-OX AT HOME 



229 



in the aged. In its sixth year and thereafter this crevice 

 opens, so that in an old bull it is from an inch to an inch 

 and a half. 



In the cow this crevice opens by age also, and to even 

 a greater extent than in the bull. The head of the two- 

 year-old musk-ox bull looks very much like that of the 

 two-year-old wood-bison cow I saw. The foreheads of 

 both are sprinkled with short, curly, grayish hair, only 

 that of the musk-ox is whiter. The hair on the forehead 

 of aged musk cattle is straight, rather long, and very dark 

 nearly black. 



Both the musk bull and cow horns darken as they reach 

 their full development, until from the tip for six or eight 

 inches towards the base the 



\ 



horn approaches black. But 

 after their full development, 

 and as the animals age, this ex- 

 treme darkness disappears, un- 

 til finally in a very old animal 

 of either sex there will be but 

 a tip of black on the very point 

 of the horn. It is by the ex- 

 tent of this black on the point 

 of the horn that the Indians 

 reckon the musk-ox's age. 



In both bull and cow as the 

 crevice widens the base of the 

 boss on either side thickens, 

 until in the bull it reaches a 

 depth of horn at least three 

 inches, though in the cow will not exceed two. 



The horn of the boss is corrugated, but as it bends at 

 the side of the head over the eye the roughness begins to 

 disappear, until about the middle of the horn it attains 



MUSK-OX HOOF BOTTOM VIEW 



