1S60.] Notes on the Races of Rein Beer. 3S1 



Dogs are employed for sledging, and are unaccustomed to the sight 

 of tame Deer, they would he very apt to attack and destroy them, as 

 has happened in instances where individual Rein Deer have heen tamed 

 in the American fur-countries hy Europeans. In Lapland, however, 

 the herds of domestic Rein Deer are always tended by several Dogs, 

 which guard and keep them in order and serve to hunt back any 

 stragglers. {Vide Lloyd's 8c. Adv. II, 213.) 



Referring to Dr. J. E. Gray's ' Synopsis of the Species of Deer' 

 (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 225), I observe that he admits one species 

 only of Rein Deer, but which " varies exceedingly in size." He 

 remarks — " They have a large variety in Newfoundland, nearly as 

 large as a heifer [a heifer of what race ?*], having very large and 

 heavy horns. There are some horns of this variety in the British 

 Museum. M. Middendorf informed me that the horns of the large 

 Siberian variety were as large as, and greatly resembled, the horns 

 from Newfoundland (Nova Scotia) in the British Museum collection." 

 In other words, the American Woodland Caribou, and the large race 

 of N. Asia, are, in all probability, cpiite identical. 



since this animal appeared in the northern parts of Vermont and N. Hampshire ; 

 from which it is not unreasonable to infer, that in earlier time it may have passed 

 still further south. Its gregarious habits and unsuspicious character would seem 

 to ensure its speedy destruction, when placed within the reach of man." It is 

 well known how much the climate of the Atlantic States of N. America has been 

 ameliorated, from the seasons being rendered less excessive, by the gradual exten- 

 sive clearance of the forests ; as that of N. Europe since the time of Caesar. On 

 the Pacific Coast of N. America, Capt. Beechey remarks that Rein Deer occur in 

 some seasons of the year in New Caledonia (now, to avoid confusion, termed British 

 Columbia), or the country drained by Eraser's River. 



* Clarke remarks, of the Cows which he saw in his journey from Tornea to 

 the Muonio river, — " The Cows here are all of the same white colour, and very 

 little larger than sucking calves in England ; but so beautiful, and yielding milk 

 of a quality so superior to any we had before tasted, that we longed to introduce 

 the breed into our own country. It i3 almost all cream ; and this cream, with 

 the most delicious sweetness, is, at the same time, even when fresh, so coagulated, 

 that a spoon will nearly remain upright after it has been plunged in it. Of course," 

 it is added, "its richness must be principally attributed to the nature of the 

 food which, during summer, these cows select for themselves in the forests ; and 

 this consists entirely of the tender twigs and young shoots of trees." Travels 

 to tlie North Cape, p. 309. 



The pretty httle Norwegian cows are thus incidentally noticed : comment about 

 the "as if is, of course, unnecessary. " Then came the goats and sheep, and the 

 little cows following like dogs, now and then stopping to take a bite, when the turf 

 looked particularly sweet and tempting— little fairy cows were they, much smaller 

 than our Alderneys, finer in the bone, and more active in the legs ; they looked 

 as if they had a cross of the Deer in them. They were all of one colour, a sort of 

 dirty cream-colour approaching to dun, and almost black on the legs and muzzle." 

 (Forest Scenes in Norway and Sweden. By the Rev. H. Newlancl, p. 156.) 



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