128 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



ones on the face and legs, are crinkled, and all are tipped with 

 black, wherever the coat is colored, except on the caribou, where 

 this law seems reversed. Even the very white hairs, which are 

 always found sparsely scattered through the blackest Moose, are 

 provided with a jet black tip, so fine, that the naked eye will 

 scarcely discern it, though it may be from two to three lines in 

 length. Below this is a tawny annular section of the same ex- 

 tent; below this, again, the hairs are as white as snow. All of 

 the black hairs on the Moose have the russet or tawny section of 

 two or three lines in extent, about four lines below the sharp, 

 black points, and are white on their lower parts, for from one 

 quarter to one eighth their length. The black hairs are more 

 elastic than the white ones, and the lower white portions of the 

 black hairs are more brittle than the black portions, so that the 

 coloring matter seems to add to the strength and elasticity of the 

 hairs. 



On the Caribou, the hairs are much shorter than on the moose, 

 but they are very dense and compact, forming a remarkably 

 warm covering for winter ; and their skins are highly prized by 

 the northern natives, who use them for garments. The hairs are 

 more uniform in color throughout their length, than on any of 

 the other species. As before stated, they are not like the others, 

 tipped with black, while they are lighter near the body. On 

 the Caribou, where the white generally prevails, the hairs are 

 white the whole length, and where the dark color prevails, they 

 are dark colored the whole length. 



On our Elk the hairs are longer, and very abundant. They 

 are exceedingly light, and excellent non-conductors of heat. 

 They are more crinkled than on any of the others, and although 

 less brittle than on the caribou, they are quite non-elastic. 

 When used as robes, they are very warm and comfortable for 

 covering. When used as a cushion, for riding, or in camp for 

 a bed, the hairs break down under the pressure, and their beauty 

 and even comfort are spoiled. The surface of the hairs appears 

 very smooth, but under the microscope the appearance of minute 

 scales is disclosed. In form, the hairs on Wapiti for one fourth 

 of their outer length taper, terminating with an exceedingly fine 

 point, more difficult to be seen than the point of a fine needle. 

 Below this the diameter is nearly uniform till near the end, 

 where they contract to the root, the neck of which is about one 

 eighth the largest diameter of the hair, then the root swells out 

 to double the size of the neck and terminates in a semi-spherical 



