

CHAPTER V. 



THE AMERICAN REINDEER. 



THE CARIBOO. 



{liangifer, Hamilton Smith ; liangi/er Caribou, Aiululjon and Bachman.) 



Muzzle entirely covered with hair ; the tear bag small, covered with a 

 jiencil of hairs. The I'ur is hrittie ; in Kiiinnier, short ; in winter 

 lon;,'er, wliiter ; of tlie throat longer. The hoofs are hroad, depressed, 

 and lient in at the tip. Tlie external metatar.'^al gland is ahove the 

 middle of the k'g. Horns, in hoth sexes, elonj^ate, suhcylindric, with 

 the liasal liranches and tij) dilated and palniati'd ; of the females 

 smaller. Skull with rather large nose cavity ; ahout half as long as 

 the distance to the first grinder ; the intermaxillary moderate, nearly 

 reaching to the nasal ; a small, very shallow, suborhital pit. 



The above diagnosis, taken from Dr. Gray's article on 

 the Riiniinantia in the Knowsley menagerie, seems to 

 embrace the chief characteristics of the reindeer of the 

 8ii])-arctic regions. The colour, habits, &c., of the variety 

 desimiated above will be found succeeding the following 

 general considerations. As a species subject to but slight 

 local variation (with one possible exception in the case 

 of the barren ground cariboo) the reindeer, Cervus 

 tarandus of Linna?us, rangifer of Hamilton Smith, in- 

 habits l)oth the old and tlu^ new worlds under similar 

 circumstances of climate and natural productions. Its 

 range across the Northern continents of Asia, Europe and 

 America is almost unbroken ; whilst in the North 



