66 CERVID^E. 



down, are more dangerous and vicious when brought to 

 bay ; indeed they will sometimes even refuse to run at all, 

 in both which cases a steady hand and dry powder are 

 essential points. As to the weapon suitable for Moose, 

 Caribou, and Deer shooting, a light double-barrelled 

 smooth-bore rifle is, in my opinion, of all others the most 

 convenient and useful ; but every-one has his own ideas 

 on these subjects. 



When a Moose is slaughtered, the tongue, palate, 

 mouffle. and marrowbones are reserved for the white- 



t*/ / 



hunters, while their attendants feast on the flesh. This, 

 though coarse in grain, is, when in good condition, very 

 tender, and rather like beef, with the addition of a 

 slightly gamey flavour; it is largely preserved by 

 means of smoke-drying. The fat, unlike that of the deer 

 tribe in general, is quite soft, and the layer on the 

 chine, known as the depouille, is highly esteemed by 

 the trappers and Indians; though that of the Caribou 

 ranks, I believe, still higher in their estimation. The 

 fat and marrow in both animals, when mixed with the 

 pounded flesh, form " pemmican." 



The Moose have been lately very much hunted for 

 the sake of their skins, which have risen in value within 

 the last year or two. Mr. Bell, of Montreal, in an in- 

 teresting paper on the " Natural History of the St. 

 Lawrence District," mentions the fact of a hunting 



