ORDER RUMINANTIA. 75 



usual food in winter consists of the buds and bark of button- 

 wood, spruce, and juniper pines, birch and maple, and 

 under the snow it seeks stink wood (anagyris fcetida,) and 

 mosses ; but this is always with difficulty, for then it is 

 obliged to spread the fore-legs, or even it is said, to kneel. 

 The branches of trees it turns down with the horns very 

 dexterously ; but to get at the ground, we have been as-^ 

 sured by Huron and the Canadian hunters, when the snow 

 has fallen only to afoot or two in depth, that the herd, led 

 by an old male, shovel it back, and throw it over their 

 heads ; the snow falling on either side, as it slides from the 

 inclined planes of the back of their horns: meantime the 

 fore-feet of all are equally engaged in striking it from under 

 them. 



During a part of the year, the herd consists of an old 

 female, two adult females, two young females, and two 

 young males ; but during the snowy periods, at least in 

 America, one or more adult males are certainly among 

 them, very old males alone keeping aloof j until the rutting 

 season, unless the winter be very severe. Several of these 

 families keep near each other, and in very cold weather 

 they seek cover together and remain closely pressed against 

 one another, or trot in a circle, till they have beaten the 

 snow down. When the rutting period commences, which 

 is about the beginning of September, the old males seek 

 the females, and expel the young, who are obliged to keep 

 aloof while the animals remain in heat. At this time they 

 will swim rivers in pursuit of the females, or after them to 

 remain concealed in some of the Lake Islands. The males 

 are then very pugnacious; they bellow often* and sink in 

 flesh. The gravid females bring forth about the middle of 

 May, at first one, but ordinarily two calves, of a broWn-red 

 colour. These are so simple and void of fear, that in the 

 first months they are easily taken, and if in the water, where 

 they willingly go to avoid the flies, they will suffer persons 



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