MORROW — NOTES ON THE CARIBOU. 289 



you will immediately notice, and in the Caribou is a scent "gland." 

 The matter producing this scent is of an entirely different character 

 from that contained in the tubes. It appears to be a highly vola- 

 tile oil, and resists salt for a long time after the surrounding skin 

 has been thoroughly saturated, and when dry collects on the outside 

 of the skin in the form of very small yellow waxy scales, such as 

 would be left by minute portions of varnish. Although I did not 

 see the animal use this so called "gland," yet my Indian who 

 hunted with me in December saw a doe Caribou use it in this way ; 

 when she had finished urinating (she squats in the act almost 

 exactly like a sheep), she rubbed these "glands" together, leaving 

 true scent behind her for a short distance. When "creeping" 

 moose or Caribou, it has been often a subject of enquiry with me 

 why it was that beside the smell of the fresh urine, there floated 

 above it as it were, and for some distance in advance, the true scent 

 of the animal ; and for myself, I have very little doubt but that 

 this is one way at least in which these "glands" are used, and in 

 confirmation, it may be mentioned that the dogs at one time openly 

 used for hunting moose, did not often take the scent of that animal 

 from the snow over which it had just passed, but stood upon their 

 hind legs and took it, as if it had been rubbed from the " glands/' 

 as described. This point is merely mentioned in the hope that 

 some gentleman present may be able to throw some light upon it, 

 or keep it in miud when an opportunity offers for observations 

 confirmatorv or otherwise. 



If you will look a little further down, that is, nearer the hoof, 

 on the skins now before you, you will perceive on each leg just on 

 the outside of the hinder part of the skin at the hair parting, a 

 second "gland/' it is, perhaps, more "typical," than developed. 

 You will notice that it has no smell, nor had it while the animal 

 was warm. Professor Baird (Mammals of North America, page 

 633, IT. S., P. R. R. Exp. and Surveys General Report), in his 

 diagnosis taken from Gray's " Knowsley Menagerie" says : " The 

 external metatarsal gland is above the middle of the leg." For 

 this gland our President, Mr. T. J. Egan, and I had vainly sought 

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