THE WOODLAND CARIBOU. Ill 



connected with the accessory hoof in the Caribou are more 

 than ten times as large as they are in the common Deer. In 

 "Forest Life in Arcadie," Captain Hardy's enthusiastic 

 description reads as follows: 



I can aver that its foot is a beautiful adaptation to the snow-covered country 

 in which it resides, and that on ice it lias naturally an advantage similar to that 

 obtained artificially by the skater. In winter-time the frog is entirely absorbed, 

 and the edges of the hoof, now quite concave, grow out in their sharp ridges, 

 each division on the under surface presenting the appearance of a huge 

 mussel-shell. The frog is absorbed by the latter end of November, when the 

 lakes are frozen; the shell grows with great rapidity, and the frog does not fill 

 up again till spring, when the antlers bud out. With this singular conforma- 

 tion of the foot, its great lateral spread, and the additional assistance afforded 

 in maintaining a foot-hold on slippery surfaces by the long, stiff bristles which 

 grow downward from the fetlock, curving upward underneath between the 

 divisions, the Caribou is enabled to proceed over crusted snow, to cross frozen 

 lakes, or ascend icy precipices with an ease which places him beyond the reach 

 of all pursuers. 



When startled, the Caribou's gait is like that of the Moose 

 — a long, steady trot, breaking into a brisk walk. Some- 

 times he gallops, and when suddenly frightened or jiro- 

 voked, will bound a distance of twenty feet. In thib 

 connection, an amusing incident occurs to mind. John 

 Danforth is the proprietor of Camj) Caribou, on Parma- 

 chene Lake, in the Maine woods. Having been teased by 

 trappers and guides about his neglecting fine oi^portunities 

 to train the Caribou, Mr. Danforth trapped two fine ani- 

 mals, and, before his admiring assistant guide, i)roceeded to 

 attach a rein, in the shape of a lasso, to one of the 

 untamed creatures. Unfortunately for the courageous 

 trainer, the Caribou determined to reverse the order of 

 things, and teach his presuming tutor the lesson that what 

 we aim at is not always obtained, when we aim for the sake 

 of what we get, and slipping the lasso to his flanks, he 

 made a bound of some twenty feet, carrying his trainer, 

 like the tail of a kite, in a straight line after him, and 

 dropping him only to make another leap. Finding his tor- 

 mentor still holding on to him, a third bound finished the 

 performance. Mr. Danforth found himself in such a bat- 

 tered condition that ' ' he thought every bone in his body 



