332 THE ELK AND 



fledges and carriages. He is fo nimble and ex- 

 peditious, that in one day he performs with eafe 

 a journey of thirty leagues, and runs with equal 

 furenefs on the frozen fnows as upon the fined 

 downs. The milk of the female affords a more 

 fubftantial nourifhment than that of the cow. 

 The fleifi of this animal is exceedingly good. 

 His hair makes excellent furs ; and his fkin is 

 convertible into a very ftrong and pliant leather. 

 Thus the rain-deer alone furnifhes every article 

 we derive from the horfe, the ox, and the ffieep. 

 The manner in which the Laplanders rear 

 and manage the rain- deer, merits particular at- 

 tention. Olaus % Scheffer f> and Regnard J, 

 have given interefting details on this fubjed:, of 

 which the following is an abridgement. Thefe 

 authors tell us, that the horns of the rain- deer 

 are much larger, and divided into a greater num- 

 ber of branches than thofe of the 1W. During 

 winter, the food of this animal is a white mois, 

 which he knows how to find under the deepefi 

 fnow, by digging with his horns, and turning it 

 afide with his feet. In fummer, he prefers the 

 buds and leaves of trees to herbs, which the pro- 

 jecting branches of his horns permit him not to 

 browfe with eafe. He runs on the fnow, into 

 which the breadth of his feet prevents him from 



finking. 



* Hill, de gentibus feptent. autore Olao Magno, p. 205. 

 •f Hiiloire de la Lapponie, traduite du Latin de Jean Schefr 

 fcr, p. 205. 



j Oeuvres de Regnard, torn. I. p. 172. 



