THE RAIN- DEER. 345 



nimals The elk which we differed 



was nearly of the fize of a ftag. The length 

 of the body was five feet and a half from 

 the end of the muzzle to the origin of the 

 tail, which was only two inches long. Be- 

 ing a female, it had no horns ; and its neck 

 was only nine inches in length, and as much 

 in breadth. The ears were nine inches Ions: 

 by four broad. . . The colour of the hair 

 was not much different from that of the afs, 

 the gray colour of which fometimes approaches 

 to that of the camel. . . In other refpects, 

 this hair differed ereatlv from that of the afs, 

 which is morter, and from that of the camel, 

 which is much finer. The length of the hair 

 was three inches, and equalled in thicknefs 

 the coarfeft hair of a horfe. This thicknefs 

 diminifhed gradually toward the extre nity, 

 which was very lharp : It diminifhed like- 

 wile toward the root, but fuddenly became 

 like the handle of a lancet. This handle was 

 of a diiferent colour from the reft of the hair, 

 being white and diaphanous, like the briftles 

 of a hog. . . The hair was as long as that 

 of a bear, but ftraighter, thicker, fmoother, 

 and all of the fame kind. The upper lip was 

 large and detached from the gums, but by no 

 means fo large as Solinus defcribed it, nor as 

 Pliny has reprefented the animal he calls 

 machlis. Thefe authors tell us, that this crea- 

 ture is obliged to go backward when he paf- 

 tures, to prevent his lip from being entangled 



' between 



