53 8 THE ELK AND 



fpicuous exmaple of redundant nutritive matter j 

 and this efFcct is perhaps lefs owing to the na- 

 ture of the animal than to the quality of his 

 I food*; for the fubftance of the lichen, or rain- 

 deer liverwort, which is its only nouriihment, 

 efpecially during the winter, is iimilar to that of 

 the mufhroom, very nourifhing, and contains a 

 greater number of organic particles than the 

 leaves or buds of trees j\ This is the reafon 

 why the rain-deer has larger horns and a great- 

 er quantity of fat than the ftag, and why the fe- 

 males and geldings are not deprived of horns : It 

 is alfo the reafon why the horns c*f the rain-deer 

 are more diverfified in fize, figure, and number 

 of branches, than any other of the deer kind, 

 Thofe males who have never been hunted or 

 reftrained, and who feed plentifully, and at their 

 eafe, upon this fubftantial nourifhment, have 

 prodigious horns, which extend backward as 

 far as their crupper, and forward beyond the 

 muzzle. The horns of the caftrated males, 

 though fmaller, often exceed thofe of the flag ; 

 and thofe of the females are Prill fmaller. Thus the 



horns 



* See article Stag, vol. 4. 



t It is remarkable that, though the rain-deer eat< nothing 

 during winter, but great quantities of this mofs, he always 

 fattens better, his (kin is cleaner, and his hair finer than when ha 

 feeds upon the bell herbage, at which time he makes a hide- 

 ous appearance. Their being unable to endure heat is the 

 reafon why they are better and fatter in autumn and winter, 

 than in iurnmer, when they have nothing but fiucws, ikin, 

 and bone j Scheffcr, hijl. de la Lappqnle^ />.'2o6. 



