98 HOOFED ANIMALS 
a creature of treeless and inhospitable regions, and is so inde- 
pendent of the conditions which are essential to the existence 
of all round-horned members of the Deer Family, that its 
desolate home has been inseparably connected with its pop- 
ular name. Species may come and species may go, but we 
hope that the brave and hardy Barren Ground Caribou will 
go on forever. 
It is natural that in any animal species which ranges from 
the east coast of Greenland to the west coast of Alaska (3,500 
miles in an air-line), and from Grant Land to the Churchill 
River (1,800 miles), some variations in form, color and horn 
architecture should occur. Indeed, in a range so immense, 
it could scarcely be otherwise. While it is probable that some 
of these variations justify the creation of specific divisions, 
we are at present less concerned with these details than with 
a consideration of the group as a whole. Moreover, it may 
be said with entire truth that naturalists have but recently 
begun to study the Caribou of America; and until far more 
material has been gathered, it is impossible to set forth the 
true status and life history of this genus. . 
The characters which serve to distinguish Barren Ground 
Caribou from the Woodland groups have already been pointed 
out,—smaller size, antlers that are longer in the main beam, 
less palmated and with fewer points. The following forms 
have been described as independent species of this group; 
but whether all of them are entitied to specific rank remains 
to be seen. 
