THE DEER -REINDEER. 



523 



ersc the fcnland and the surface of snow as well 

 as to climb up the slopes. The gait of the Reindeer 

 is a rather quick pace or a rapid trot, and nearly 

 every step is attended by a peculiar crackling sound, 

 comparable to that produced by an electric spark. 

 When walking slowly over a marshy surface the 

 Reindeer expands its hoofs to such an extent that 

 the footprint resembles that of an Ox much more 

 than that of a Deer, and walks over the snow in a 

 similar manner, not sinking into it after the snow 

 has settled down in any measure. Swimming comes 

 very easily to a Reindeer. 



All the perceptive senses of the Reindeer are ex- 

 cellent. Its power of smell is extremely acute, -being 

 efficient at a distance of five or six hundred paces, as 

 I have personally convinced myself. Its hearing is 

 at the least as sensitive as that of the Stag, and its 

 sight is so quick that a huntsman, if he wishes to be 

 successful, has every reason to hide most carefully, 

 even if he approaches against the wind. 



In summer the wild Reindeer feeds on juicy moun- 

 tain plants, especially on the leaves and flowers of 

 the snow-ranunculus, the Reindeer sorrel, the com- 

 mon crowsfoot, and the fescul-grass, in winter on 

 lichens. 



Reproduction, In Norway the little ones make their 

 Chase and Value of appearance towards the middle of 



the Reindeer. April. Wild Reindeer are said never 

 to give birth to more than one fawn, which is a trim 

 little creature, and the mother apparently loves it 

 tenderly and suckles it a long time. 



The chase of the wild Reindeer requires a sports- 

 man passionately fond of it or a true naturalist who 

 does not mind hardships and privations. The first 

 shot throws a troop into such confusion that the 

 Reindeers stand still in utter astonishment, and flee 

 only after they have descried the hunter. The Nor- 

 wegian hunters are aware of this peculiarity of the 

 animal, and like to hunt alone or in small parties. 

 They cautiously approach a troop, take aim at some 

 particular animals, and one of them fires first; then 

 the others shoot also. The chase of the Reindeer is 

 of the utmost importance to many Siberian tribes. 

 "The Yukaghirs and the other inhabitants of the 

 country along the Anyui river in Siberia," says Von 

 Wrangel, "depend entirely on the Reindeer, which 

 furnishes them almost exclusively with food, rai- 

 ment, means of locomotion and houses, just as it 

 does for the people of Lapland. The results of the 

 Reindeer chase determine whether famine or com- 

 fort shall prevail, and the season of the Reindeer 

 migration is the most important part of the year. 

 When the animals reach the rivers in their period- 

 ical migration, and prepare to swim over, the hunters, 

 who have been skulking behind bushes and rocks, 

 dart forward in their little boats, surround the herd 

 and endeavor to stop it, while two or three of the 

 most skillful row among the swimming crowd and 

 succeed, in an incredibly short time, in slaying, or 

 severely injuring, a great number of animals that, as 

 ' a result of their wounds, are scarcely able to reach 

 the shore where they fall into the hands of the 

 women, girls and children. The hunt is exceedingly 

 perilous, however, for the small, light boat easily 

 capsizes in the midst of the enormous throng of 

 animals swimming, one closely beside another, and 

 moreover the pursued animals defend themselves in 

 every possible way: the males with their antlers and 

 teeth, the females with their forelegs with which 

 they are wont to jump on the gunwale of the boat. 

 If the boat capsizes the hunter is usually lost, for it 



is well-nigh impossible for him to work his way out 

 of the throng." 



The Indians of the extreme northern parts of 

 North America hunt the Reindeer in a similar man- 

 ner, King says. These people are also almost entirely 

 dependent on this animal for everything which con- 

 tributes to their comfort or permits their existence. 

 Vast herds — many thousands in number — migrate 

 northward to the Arctic Ocean in spring and south- 

 ward again in the fall. At the time of this last mi- 

 gration they have a layer of fat from three to five 

 inches in thickness under the skin of the back and 

 croup and therefore they are the main object of 

 the chase. They are shot with fire-arms, caught in 

 snares or killed with spears while crossing rivers; 

 deep pitfalls are dug for them, or the trapper con- 

 structs two fences of branches and shrubs, and 

 leaves narrow gaps in each, provided with snares; 

 the herd is driven between the fences and the peo- 

 ple capture those which try to break through, or 

 stab them when they come out. 



Economic Value The Indians make similar uses of 

 of the Rein- the carcasses of the wild Reindeer as 

 deer. d th e Laplanders of those of their 



tame herds. The antlers and bones are made into 

 fish-spears and hooks; the meat, fat and hair are 

 scraped off the hides with the split shin bones; the 

 skin is rubbed with the brains, to render it pliant; the 

 leather is tanned by being smoked with rotten wood 

 and is then hung around the tent-poles; the raw 

 hides are made into bow-strings and nets; the ten- 

 dons of the back are split into fine thread; the soft, 

 fur-like skins of the fawns must provide the Indians 

 with clothing. They wrap themselves in Reindeer 

 skins from head to foot, throw a soft tanned skin on 

 the snow, cover themselves with another, and thus 

 are enabled to bid defiance to the severest cold. No 

 part of the Reindeer is left unutilized, not even the 

 partly digested food found in the stomach, which 

 when it has lain for some time and undergone a cer- 

 tain fermentation, is reckoned to be a very dainty 

 dish. 



The wild Reindeer has many enemies besides 

 Man. The most dangerous of all is the Wolf. This 

 beast of prey always hangs on the outskirts of the 

 herds, but is most dangerous in winter. In Norway 

 the attempts at Reindeer breeding which were made 

 in the southern mountains had to be abandoned on 

 account of the Wolves. The Wolverine, Lynx and 

 Bear also prey on the Reindeer. Next to these 

 large predaceous animals, small and apparently in- 

 significant insects must be counted their most an- 

 noying if not their worst foes. 



Reindeer taken young become tame very soon; 

 but one would err greatly if he were to place Rein- 

 deer, in regard to tractability, on a level with other 

 animals reduced to a state of domesticity. Not 

 even the descendants of those which have been in 

 captivity from time immemorial, are as tame as our 

 common domestic animals, but they always remain 

 in a half savage condition. Only Laplanders and 

 their Dogs are able to guide and rule such herds. 

 Characteristics and Laplanders are not the only race 

 Habits of Domes- to occupy themselves with Reindeer 

 tic Reindeer. breeding, in which pursuit the Fin- 

 landers and many Siberian tribes also engage. The 

 tame Reindeer is the support and the pride of the 

 Laplander; it is alike his pleasure and wealth, his 

 burden and his torment. In his opinion he who 

 numbers his Reindeer by the hundred, has reached 

 the pinnacle of human bliss. Some few Laplanders 



