THE CARIBOU MIGRATION 39 



wild animals, and while watching them the wonder 

 of this great migration was constantly before my 

 mind. Every autumn, following the first heavy 

 snow that comes after October 20th, the northern 

 Caribou commenced the southerly journey ; con- 

 verging from their various summer haunts, they 

 pass between Sandy River and Gaff-topsails, 

 scattering again soon after they cross the railroad 

 line to grass. The winters are spent toward the 

 centre of the island. Then, as spring approaches, 

 the great herd return to their summer homes. In 

 watching the southerly migration one is surprised 

 at the great number of does, perhaps as many as 

 fifteen or twenty to each stag. In fact there are 

 often large herds with no stags at all. This in- 

 equality is not as great as it seems, for toward the 

 end of the migration there are many great herds 

 which contain only stags, but then they are mostly 

 without antlers. As early as November 3rd some 

 of the stags drop their horns, very few carrying 

 them into December. At what age the Caribou 

 carry their best heads is not known, but probably 

 the largest horns are found on the stags ranging 

 from seven to ten years of age. Unlike most deer 

 the does of the Newfoundland Caribou usually 

 have horns. They are for the most part small and 

 without beauty, though occasionally a very fair 

 head is seen ; in form it is more like the antlers 

 of the Virginia deer, and lacks the characteristic 

 brow paddle, which the stags almost always have. 

 The Caribou's colour varies with the individual and 

 with the season. In general they are white in the 

 winter and a soft brown or grey mouse colour 



