8o NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



fined to America. Four of the five that occur in America north of 

 Panama have been found within our Hmits during historic times, and 

 three of these are still represented. 



GENERA OF CERVIDAE 



Horns present in both sexes; nose entirely hairy (caribou) Eangifer, p. 80 

 Horns normally present in males only ; nose partly or en- 

 tirely naked 

 Horns broadly flattened ; a small naked space between 



nostrils (moose) Ale es, p. 81 



Horns not conspicuously flattened ; muzzle entirely 

 naked 

 Horns about 1530 (60) in length, their circumference 



at base about 200 (8) (wapiti) Cervus,p. 82 



Horns about 610 (24) in length, their circumference at 



base about 115 (4^) (deer) Odocoileus, p. 83 



Genus Rangifer Hamilton Smith 



1827 Rangifer Hamilton Smith, Griffith's Cuvier, Animal kingdom. 5:304. 

 Type Cervus tarandus Linnaeus. 

 Horns long, much branched, usually flattened at tip ; muzzle entirely hairy. 

 (Rdngifer; Old French, branch-bearer) 



This genus, which includes the reindeer of the old world and the 

 caribou of America, is represented within our limits by three species. 



SPECIES OF RANGIFER 



Muzzle and region about eye dark R. caribou 



Muzzle and region about eye conspiciousiy whitish 



Size very large ; antlers relatively short and heavy. .R. terraenovae 



Size small ; antlers relatively long and light R. arcticus 



Rangifer caribou (Gmelin) Woodland caribou 



1788 [Cervus tarandus] y. caribou Gmelin, Systema naturae, ed. 13. 



1 : 177. (Eastern Canada). 

 1853 Rangifer caribou Audubon and Bachman, Quadr. N. Am. 3 : 111. 

 1898 Rangifer tarandus caribou Lydekker, The deer of all lands, p. 42. 

 General color tawny brown ; head and neck paler ; front half of lower surface 

 of body dark; «o wMie eye ring; a narrow white ring on leg above hoof; horns 

 large and heavy, the prongs mostly pointing upward, (caribou; Indian name) 



The woodland caribou is abundant in the forested region of the 

 Hudsonian zone and uppermost part of the Canadian zone in eastern 

 Canada. It reaches the eastern United States in northern Maine only. 



