COAT AND COLOR. 123 



and replaced tmce in each year, — a provision peculiar to the deer 

 family in a state of nature, and almost as extraordinary as the 

 deciduous character of their antlers. These coats are well 

 adapted to the comfort of the animals during the different sea- 

 sons when they prevail. They widely differ, both in structure 

 and quantity. So soon as warm weather is established in the 

 spring, as on most other quadrupeds, the heavy winter coat, by 

 Avliich they have been pi'otected from the rigors of the season, 

 becomes loosened and is thrown off ; and is replaced by another 

 coat of hairs of an entirely different texture. The new hairs 

 spring from the same roots which nourished the old ones. As the 

 new hairs slioot out they gradually loosen the old ones, which 

 finallj^ drop off. With some species, the process is quite gradual, 

 and occupies a considerable time While with others, all seem to 

 be loosened nearlj- at the same time. This is particularly so 

 with our Elk (Wapiti), when the winter is being replaced by the 

 summer pelage, while the change from the summer to the winter 

 coat is ver}^ gradual. The winter coat is all detached so nearly 

 together, that if the hairs were dropped off so soon as they are 

 loosened, the animal would for a time appear almost naked, so 

 short would be the new coat. But the inner coat of fur has 

 during the winter become felted together, embracing; and confin- 

 ing the long coarse hairs, so that they cover the animal as with a 

 blanket, after a considerable portion Iiave become loosened, thus 

 allowing the young hairs to attain some length before their pred- 

 ecessors are gone. Indeed, this old coat does not in fact drop 

 off, as in ordinary cases, but it is torn away in large patclies, by 

 contact with the shrubbery. There would be no difficulty in 

 gathering many baskets full of this coat from the bushes in my 

 grounds in the month of June. The large proportion of fur in 

 this pelage would render it quite practicable to convert it into 

 yarn and cloth, or into felted goods. When the old coat is gone 

 the new one is very short and fine, and fairly glistens in the 

 bright sunshine. 



How this process progresses with the moose and the caribou, T 

 am not fully informed, only that it occurs at the same time in the 

 spring, when other quadrupeds discard their winter garb. From 

 the fact that this occurs at a time when the deer are not in sea- 

 son for the hunter, but few observations have been made of them 

 at this time. Careful observations can only be made when they 

 are in semi-domestication or in confinement, where they can 

 be studied the year round. 



