ORDER RUMINANTIA. 77 



seventeen, with the rudiment of an eighteenth. The hunters 

 named him a black Moose, and from the greater length of 

 head in proportion to his height, and the particular form 

 of the horns, insisted that this was a different species from 

 the brown. There is, however, no character sufficiently 

 distinctive to claim our assent to this assertion, for it is 

 known that considerable variation in the horns occurs from 

 various causes, although it must be admitted that the 

 almost complete separation of the lower parts into the form 

 of branches, is a very prominent character in most if not 

 all the American specimens, while a similar formation is 

 rare in those of Europe : but the colours of the hair differ 

 with the season ; and if this specimen belong to a different 

 species, both would be of that species, the result proving 

 only that the European is not of the same. The two here 

 mentioned were dark, almost black, with gray hairs inter- 

 mixed, but that with the largest horns had the greatest 

 intermixture of gray ; they were killed on the borders of 

 the Saguenai, in Lower Canada, where both they and a 

 herd of buffaloes were considered as strangers. The darkest 

 was shot in September, and the gray in November, which 

 may account for the difference of colour *. 



During the time that their horns are sprouting, the ani- 

 mals remain most in willow covers, returning to the ever- 

 green woods when they are restored: their period of life 

 does not exceed twenty years. 



They are hunted in North America, chiefly during the 

 early part of winter, and towards the spring. While the 

 snows are not deep, they are not easily attacked ; but when 

 they begin to harden, and the hunters run on snow-shoes, 

 they endeavour to turn the game towards ravines, or where 

 it is drifted deep. The Huron hunters have assured us, 

 that when this is effected, he is sure to be soon entangled, 



* The measurements were taken by a string, and, consequently, 

 with some curve on the shoulders, and convexity of the nose. 



