90 HOOFED ANIMALS 



to define the boundaries between the various species that 

 have been proposed. Let it suffice to present a brief outline 

 of the two great groups into which all our Caribou seem to be 

 rationally divisible. 



The Woodland Caribou Group 



Roaming through the pine and spruce forests and also 

 over the prairies of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Bruns- 

 wick, northern Maine, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, are 

 the Caribou longest and best known to us. A typical spec- 

 imen 1 is a strong lusty animal, 48 inches high at the shoulders, 

 weighing 280 pounds and endowed with sufficient energy to 

 vanquish the strongest man in about one minute. Its shoul- 

 ders are high and sharp, its head is held low and thrust straight 

 forward, and as it walks on hard ground its dew-claws and 

 hoofs click like castanets. Its head is long and cow-like, 

 and its muzzle is too large for beauty; but the large, liquid, 

 dark-brown eyes appeal successfully against all adverse de- 

 cisions on questions of beauty. 



When a Caribou walks, its long stride and swinging gait 

 proclaim a born traveller and migrant. And truly, the 

 strangest of all Caribou habits is that which impels these 

 creatures, particularly the Barren Ground species, to assemble 

 in immense throngs, and for climatic reasons migrate en 

 masse for long distances. In the Woodland species, however, 

 this habit is not nearly so pronounced. 



Character of Antlers. — A comparison of many antlers 

 of Woodland Caribou with those of Barren Ground animals 



1 Ran'gi-fer car'i-bou, from Maine. 



