78 CERVIDJ3, 



and a half hands high; whereas the wild reindeer of 

 Lapland seldom approaches within an inch or two of 

 these dimensions, and the domesticated one is still 

 smaller. This, however, may possibly be attributable to 

 the effect of food, and facilities for procuring subsistence. 



It is a remarkable fact that there is not a single 

 instance on record of the Caribou having ever been 

 tamed to domestic use, like the well-known friend and 

 companion of the Laplander; on the contrary, even 

 those that have been reared by the hand of man from 

 their very birth, have invariably proved wild and in- 

 tractable on attaining maturity. 



The Caribou also differs from the reindeer in the 

 formation of its antlers, which are less slender, and not 

 so much curved as those of the latter. It is true that 

 in both a considerable variation is common in this 

 respect, even among individuals of the same herd; but 

 the dissimilarity between the two varieties is of another 

 nature, and neither casual nor accidental. 



The size of the horns in all the Cervida3 is probably 

 the result of food; if that be abundant then the antler 

 growth reaches its maximum, and both diminish in a 

 direct ratio. This curious fact is proved by the animals 

 with the larger antlers being always found in areas 

 where their food is plentiful, which is the case in a 

 marked degree with the red-deer of our own country. 



