244 TAMENESS OF THE DEER. 



shore, I imagine they congregate in great 

 numbers, and at that time they travel over 

 long distances of ice and land in search of 

 food. 



The hair of the rein-deer is very long, thick, 

 and close, and is of a slaty-grey colour, verging 

 into white about the stern and belly. The 

 hinds have horns as well as the stags, although 

 of a smaller size. They shed their horns 

 every winter, and numbers of these cast-horns 

 strew the plains where the herds have win- 

 tered. 



The deer I had kiUed on the 25th were 

 reasonably shy and wild, as I think they had 

 been hunted by Ericson's boat's crew in the 

 lower valley a few days before ; but sometimes 

 they are incredibly tame and fearless, and I have 

 repeatedly known deer, which I had failed in 

 approaching unseen, to come up boldly of their 

 own accord until they were within easy shot of 

 me, although I was not only in full view, but 

 to windward of them ! I can only account for 

 this extraordinary temerity on the part of 

 these deer by supposing that they were indi- 

 viduals which had been reared in some remote 

 part of the country, and had never seen a 

 human being, 7ior anytliing else which could 



