II 



THE MOOSE 



Alces machlis 



TOURING my explorations in Muskoka and 

 ^^^ the north, I have had a good opportunity 

 of studying the moose (Alces machlis) while 

 living in its natural haunts. The name " moose " 

 is derived from " moosa," an Indian word meaning 

 wood-eater. The animal is so called because its 

 food consists chiefly of twigs and the bark of 

 young trees, rather than herbs and grasses : its 

 short neck renders grazing difficult, and is rarely 

 resorted to. 



Moose are distinctly forest-loving animals, and 

 live only in wooded countries where the winters 

 are long and severe. They have always been 

 less numerous in the west than in the extreme 

 east, where the forest and lakes are singularly 

 well fitted to their habits, and it is there that 

 they are still hunted with the most success. 



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