84 



THE MOOSE, OR ELK. 



described by the Indians in their guttural voices as " quoth, 

 quoth," but occasionally becoming sharper and more like a 



bellow when he hears a 

 distant cow. The cow 

 utters a prolonged and 

 strangely wild call 

 This is imitated by the 

 Indian hunter through a 

 trumpet composed of 

 rolled - up birch bark, 

 when his dogs are in 

 chase of the animal ; 

 and the bull being by 

 this means attracted 

 towards him, becomes 

 more easily his victim. 



During the early part 

 of the year, and the 

 summer, the antlers are 

 growing ; but this pro- 

 cess ceases early in Sep- 

 tember, when the moose 

 has got rid of the last 

 ragged strip of the deci- 

 duous skin against the 

 young larch - trees and 

 alder -bushes. He now 

 stands ready to assert 



A WOODED .K. 



rivals. At this season the bulls fight desperately ; often the 

 collision of the antlers of huge rivals, driven with mighty force 



