DEER. 381 



to be frequented by moose. The brilliant light seems to fascinate the animal, and 

 he will readily approach within range of the rifle. The torch placed in the bow of 

 a canoe is also used as a lure on a lake or a river, but is attended with considerable 

 danger, as a wounded or enraged moose will not unfrequently upset the canoe. 



A favourite mode of moose-hunting, when the snow lay very deep on the 

 ground, was by running them down in snow-shoes. Accidents were, however, 

 frequent in this kind of hunting, more especially during the spring, when the snow 

 is covered with a thin crust. At such times, if the hunter happened incautiously 

 to run too near the moose, the animal would turn suddenly, and leaping upon his 

 pursuer trample him under foot. Mr. Lock hart also says that in British America 

 the Indians during the winter were accustomed in deep snow to make a kind of 

 fence of three poles, tied equidistant from each other, a little taller than a man, 

 stretching perhaps for two days' march between lakes, or a lake and a river, or 

 between two mountains, or in any particular place where the moose were 

 accustomed to pass. Spaces were left vacant here and there in this fence, and in 

 these snares were set, in which the unfortunate animals became entangled. 



The flesh of the elk, in spite of some coarseness of grain, is generally regarded 

 as forming excellent venison, although it is said to have a slightly musky taste. 

 The large and fleshy nose is, however, esteemed the greatest delicacy, and is 

 reported by those who have had the opportunity of tasting it to be absolutely 

 unrivalled. Elk manage to maintain themselves in fair condition throughout the 

 winter, so that their flesh is eatable when that of the ordinary American deer is so 

 poor and dry as to be unpalatable. 



The Roe Deer. 

 Genus Gapreolus. 



The roe deer {Capreolus caprea), while agreeing with the reindeer and the elk 

 in the conformation of the bones of the lower part of the fore-legs, differs entirely 

 from both in the form of its antlers, as well as by its greatly inferior dimensions, 

 being, in fact, one of the smallest representatives of the family. Moreover, whereas 

 the two genera just mentioned have a circumpolar distribution, the roe is strictly 

 confined to the Old World. 



The roebuck when fully adult stands about 26 inches in height ; and has 

 antlers somewhat less than twice the length of the head. These antlers are rough, 

 and have a straight and nearly cylindrical beam, rising for some distance nearly 

 vertically from the skull, and then giving off one forwardly-directed tine from its 

 front edge; after which the beam curves backwards and terminates in a simple 

 fork. The roe's antler is therefore three-tined like that of the Indian spotted deer, 

 but differs in that instead of having a true brow-tine, the first tine is not given off 

 till about the middle of the entire length. The average length of the antlers is 

 from 8 to 9 inches, but it is said that a pair from Austria have been recorded in 

 which the length was 15 inches. The antlers of the roc are more subject to mal- 

 formations than those of any other species; and they sometimes show a mass of 

 ill-formed tines. 



