326 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



They occupy the northern portions of both continents, being 

 only exceeded in their nortliern range by the reindeer. They 

 must live in a wooded country. They affect the same kinds of 

 food, and are the only deer which we find habitually browsing 

 upon conifei's. The whole form of the animal presents many 

 peculiar characteristics, entirely wanting in all other animals ; 

 among which I cannot overlook, that peculiar tuft of black hair 

 on the inside of the hock, which is exactly alike on every indi- 

 vidual of both varieties, so far as it has been possible to examine, 

 while never a gland or tuft of hair is found on the outside of the 

 hind leg, although this is exceptional in the genus. 



Perhaps the most remarkable feature of all is, both are monog- 

 amous in their habits, with strange peculiarities, which are par- 

 ticularly described on p. 278, et seq., where I also show that 

 with the exception of one other species of deer (C. capreolus}, 

 found in Europe, and some of the monkey tribe, so far as I recol- 

 lect, I have never seen this habit ascribed to any other quadruped. 

 At any rate it is exceedingly rare, and so has the more value in 

 the catalogue of similitudes when comparing these animals. How 

 strikingly in every detail this peculiar habit is pi-acticed by the 

 Elk in Europe as it is by the Moose in America, is there shown. 

 One could write a book almost, without exhausting the similitudes 

 between these animals, many of which are peculiar to them, while 

 their few and slight differences are specified in a few words, every 

 one of which may be found in individuals on either continent. 



THE CARIBOU AND THE REINDEER. 



That the Reindeer and our Woodland Caribou are specifically 

 identical, I think equally clear. The divergence which has 

 resulted from long separation under somewhat different condi- 

 tions of life is even less, if possible, than that which has occurred 

 with the two varieties of Alces. Their differences are easily enu- 

 merated. 



The first to be noticed with them is in the antlers. The gen- 

 eral configuration is the same in both. With a long and slender 

 beam, first retreating and spreading, and then curving forward 

 and inward, they present fundamental peculiarities observed in 

 none others of the genus, except that which is closely allied to 

 them, to say the least, namely, the Barren-ground Caribou. Both 

 have brow-tines exceedingly variant on individuals, and even in 

 different antlers on the same animal, with the universal charac- 



