REINDEER IIST ALASKA. 47 



DEHORNING. 



It has been remarked that the large growth of horn which is com- 

 ion to all reindeer must be a heavy drain on the system, and that 

 [ the horns could be eliminated the body weight of the animal might 

 iicrease. Experiments in dehorning were made on two yearling 

 sindeer which were being kept at the Unalakleet station. About 

 days after the horns had dropped the velvet had grown to a 

 idth of about one-fourth inch surrounding the horn core. After 

 Jghtly moistening, sodium hydrate was rubbed onto this new 

 jowth. Only one of the horns on each animal was treated. 

 Jrowth stopped at once and a scab covered the area. In about 

 iree weeks the scab began to lift at one corner and in a few days 

 lie treated horn was growing just as rapidly as the untreated one. 

 ■hat considerable injury had been done to the horn was evinced 

 y the fact that a large white area appeared on the velvet. Strange 

 ,) say, the injury appeared to stimulate the growth as well, and by 

 ie latter part of August it was found that the treated horn was 

 iiuch larger than the untreated one. (This is illustrated in PI. 

 vVIII, Fig. 2.) It had been suggested that the proper time to 

 induct a dehorning experiment is when the fawns are newly born; 

 ■'it unfortunately, it is not safe to handle the fawns at that time; 

 msequently the outlook as regards dehorning does not seem 

 comising. 



CASTRATION. 



fThe Lapp method of castration, which consists of crushing the 

 Jsticles, was introduced into Alaska at the time the reindeer were 

 rst imported. This method, still followed in some districts, is 

 irbarous and often ineffective and should be stopped as soon as 

 Dssible. The method used for other kinds of domesticated stock, 

 insisting in opening the scrotum, or bag, with a knife, severing 

 le cord, and removing the testicles, is proper for reindeer as well. 

 No instruments other than the knife are required if the operation 

 done on the fawn soon after birth, but this is not good practice, 

 '^ith the older animals, however, serious hemorrhage is apt to fol- 

 w unless an instrument such as the emasculator is used to sever the 

 »rd. It is gratifying to record the fact that the use of the emas- 

 idator by the Biological Survey in 1921 was at once accepted by 

 «rd owners as an improvement and that its use has spread rapidly. 

 lot only are the natives using it under the direction of officials of 

 le Bureau of Education, but the leading Lapps have expressed 

 lemselves as in favor of the method. During the past season a 

 rge number of animals in most of the principal herds have been 

 ccessf ully castrated with the emasculator, so that it is now probably 

 'ily a question of time until all herd owners will have adopted its 

 :.ie. 



