6 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Casting the liorns, hair, &c. 



There is also another kind of lichen, found on 

 the Lapland pines, which affords food to these 

 animals when the snows are too deep to allow 

 them to reach the liverwort. 



Rein-deer cast their horns annually. The ru- 

 diments of the new horns are at first covered 

 with a kind of woolly membrane, as soft as vel- 

 vet; which the creature, after some time, rubs 

 off. Crantz also tells us, that they change their 

 hair every spring, during which time they are 

 very lean, and of little use. The female goes 

 with young eight months, and generally brings 

 forth two at a 'time; which she nurtures and 

 attends with truly maternal fondness. They 

 follow her two or three years, but do not acquire 

 their full strength until four. At that age they 

 are trained to labour, and continue serviceable 

 for four or five years. It is said, that they are 

 able to swim across the widest rivers, with such 

 force and celerity, that a boat with oars can 

 scarcely keep pace with them. 



Rein-deer were formerly unknown in Iceland, 

 but by order of governor Thodal, thirteen head 

 were sent over from Norway in the year 1770, of 

 which ten died before the} r reached the place of 

 destination : but the three remaining ones throve 

 remarkably well, and in the first two years pro- 

 duced several fawns. 



There is a breed of these quadrupeds betwixt 

 the wild buck rein-deer and the tame doe, called 

 by the Laplanders kqjfaigiar, which is very useful 



a 



