CHANGES OF THE MOOSE-DEER. 77 



The poor moose is thus soon brought to bay ; for his active 

 pursuer, whose weight is so light that he does not break 

 through the crust, dances -in security around the game, 

 snapping at every exposed point, and so engaging the vic- 

 tim's attention that the hunter can approach the quarry 

 sufficiently close to deliver with certainty an unfailing shot. 



The flesh of the moose, although sweet, is very coarse. 

 Still, many people prefer it to any other. I can not say 

 that such is the case with me, good beef being to my idea 

 infinitely superior. The tongue, last entrail, and especially 

 the mouffle, or extremity of the upper lip, are great delica- 

 cies, more particularly when eaten cooked in the primitive 

 style of the backwoods. It may be the wood-fire, it may 

 be the want of seasoning, or, more probably still, the fresh 

 air and severe exercise of the hunt; but all that I have 

 eaten when snugly housed about a camp-fire has been rel- 

 ished with a gusto unknown in city life. A bonne louche 

 which must not be forgotten, and which only the moose- 

 hunter can enjoy, or those who live near the haunts of this 

 animal, is the marrow from the shank-bones of the legs, 

 cooked immediately after the animal is killed. This, served 

 on toast, with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper, would make 

 the mouth of the most fastidious epicure water that had 

 previous experience of its excellence. 



The moose-deer changes much in appearance with the ro- 

 tations of the seasons. In summer the coat is short and 

 fine ; in winter, coarse and long. Underneath the hair is 

 found an abundant crop of soft wool, which doubtless en- 

 ables them to endure the great severity of the northern 

 winters. The face hair, different from that of the horse or 

 cow, grows upward from the mouffle, on the termination of 

 which there is a triangular bare spot. The power of the 

 jaws and teeth of the moose is very great. The facility 

 with which they strip the bark from those trees that con- 



