406 



THE CLOVEN-HOOFED ANIMALS. 



lip to the breast and forms a mane which nearly 

 reaches the ground; on both flanks the hair hangs to 

 the hoofs, and it also grows in profusion on the 

 withers, its appearance resembling a cushion-like 

 saddle, which begins behind the horns and covers 

 both sides of the neck to the extent of concealing 

 the ears. The general color of the animal is a dark 

 umber brown, merging into lighter brown on the face 

 and the hair of the breast and foreparts and becom- 

 ing yet lighter on the saddle-like tuft which extends 

 along the crest of the neck and shoulders. 



Range and Food Within its wide domain the Musk-ox 

 of the Musk- inhabits all localities which afford it 

 0*- at least temporary shelter and suste- 



nance. Collected into herds of varying numbers it 

 takes up its abode preferably in valleys and low 

 lands. It seems to be more numerous in the more 

 remote regions that lie far toward the north than it 

 is further south and closer to Man. The members 

 of the Second German Polar expedition from their 

 experience believe that this theory is true at least in 

 regard to eastern Greenland. They met herds of 

 twenty or thirty Oxen. On the remotest islands of 

 the northeast, however, Mecham saw one hundred 

 and fifty individuals of the species distributed over 

 a stretch of country which it would take but a short 

 day's journey to traverse, and at another time he 

 counted about seventy Oxen grazing within sight. 

 During the summer the herds in the north of conti- 

 nental America delight in the proximity of rivers, 

 moving southward in the fall of the year. At the 

 same time they also keep closer to one another and 

 begin to congregate in larger herds, having previ- 

 ously grazed in more scattered and smaller groups. 

 If the ice is firm enough to bear their weight, one 

 can see them wandering in long trains from one 

 island to another, in order to find a range affording 

 for the time being sufficient pasturage. Their ex- 

 treme hardiness and frugality alone enable them to 

 endure the terribly severe winter. In a slow, delib- 

 erate manner they traverse the endless waste of 

 snow, in order to reach a spot which holds out a 

 promise of food. At the melting of the snow the 

 time of plenty commences for them, which while it 

 brings with it an abundance of food, yet has its ac- 

 companiments which inflict on them great suffering. 

 In winter they have to seek and dig for their miser- 

 able food deep under the snow; in summer they can 

 easily feed on the low-growing vegetation which 

 with the advent of warmer weather and sunshine 

 sprouts up in rank profusion, at least in spots; but 

 they are greatly annoyed by swarms of, Gnats which 

 sometimes accompany them in astonishing numbers, 

 and to the attacks of which they are peculiarly sub- 

 ject while they are undergoing a change of coat. It 

 does not seem as if the shedding and renewal of the 

 coat is an easy or agreeable process, for they fre- 

 quently wallow in muddy pools and quagmires, prob- 

 ably with the intention of obtaining a crust which 

 will shield them from the attacks of their tormentors. 

 The shedding process seems also to affect their 

 strength, for they appear to confine their wanderings 

 to narrower limits during this time. Only after they 

 have completed their change of coat do they re- 

 sume their patient, persevering journeys across the 

 vast stretches of their dreary and sparsely inhabited 

 native country. 



The cow gives birth to one calf: a small and at- 

 tractive little creature, which is most tenderly loved 

 and cared for, and if necessary courageously de- 

 fended !>v its mother. 



The Mush-Ox an Notwithstanding their awkward look- 

 Agiie, Active m g shape, the Musk-oxen move 

 Animal. with admirable ease and with the 



agility and nimbleness of Antelopes. Goat-like 

 they climb about the rocks; without any apparent 

 great effort they ascend steep walls and look down, 

 entirely free from dizziness. Confronted by Man, 

 those Musk-oxen that have seen little or nothing 

 of the arch-enemy of animals act in an undecided 

 and perplexed manner. It is not long, however, 

 before they acquire a correct idea of the formidable 

 qualities of this adversary so suddenly appearing in 

 their native fields, which have before been frequented 

 only by the Wolf or Polar Bear. Recognizing the 

 menacing danger arising from the presence of Man, 

 they take timely refuge in flight. 



Methods of If several hunters stealthily approach 

 Hunting the a quietly grazing herd of Musk-oxen 

 Mush-Ox. simultaneously from different direc- 

 tions, the animals sometimes huddle closer together 

 instead of fleeing and dispersing, and thus the sports- 

 men are afforded the opportunity of firing several 

 shots. Under these conditions the hunting of the 

 Musk-ox certainly answers the description of Payer 

 and Copeland, who style it a pursuit perfectly de- 

 void of danger, saying that such a hunt presents no 

 more difficulties than would the shooting down of 

 a herd of Goats or Cattle grazing around a cow- 

 keeper's cottage present to a hunter who has taken 

 his position on the cottage. I believe it, however, 

 wrong to deduce from this the unqualified statement 

 that hunting the Musk-ox has in it no element of 

 danger, the more so as the experiences of former ob- 

 servers emphatically discredit the truth of such state- 

 ments. Wounded animals are likely to become en- 

 raged, and when aroused do not hesitate to charge 

 fiercely and desperately at the hunter, and the latter 

 has a fortunate escape if he is not run over or gored 

 with the pointed horns. 



The Economic The flesh of the Musk-ox is always 

 Value of the permeated with a palpable odor of 

 Mush-Ox. musk. In the carcasses of cows, 

 however, it is by no means strong enough to render 

 the dressed meat unpalatable, as is said to be the 

 case with bulls, especially those killed during the 

 breeding season. The wool and hair are in great 

 request with the Indians and the Eskimos. The 

 wool is so fine that excellent cloth could be woven 

 out of it if one could only get enough of it. The 

 tails are manufactured into fly-brushes by the Eski- 

 mos and the hide furnishes good shoes. 



THE OX TRIBE. 



The Ox tribe (Bovince), which forms the third sub- 

 family of the Horned Animals, is comprised of large, 

 strong and heavy Ruminants, the principal distinc- 

 tive physical characteristics of which are: more or 

 less round, smooth horns, a broad muzzle with nos- 

 trils widely separated, a long tufted tail, reaching to 

 the heel-joint, and a lack of tearpits and digital pro- 

 tuberances for the support or reception of claws. 

 The majority are also distinguished by a pendent 

 dewlap under the throat. The skeleton shows an 

 organization in which strength rather than agility or 

 grace of movement has been the prime considera- 

 tion. The horns, which expand at the base, may in- 

 volve and occupy the entire forehead, but in the 

 great majority of instances leave it free; they are 

 smooth, rounded or in some cases transversely fur- 

 rowed or ringed at the base, and curve outward or 

 inward, backward or forward, upward or downward. 



