THE MOOSE.— ALIMENT.—THE CHASE. 73 
perseverance and hardy endurance to insure success in hunting 
them. But they are noble game, and worthy the ambition of the 
true sportsman. They have probably entirely ceased their visits 
to Newfoundland; but in Labrador many still remain, though 
gradually retreating thence towards the more secluded and inac- 
cessible portions of the country. From Upper Canada all are 
gone, and but very few remain in Lower Canada, where, fifty 
years since, they were quite abundant. What are left have re- 
treated to the great, dense forests of the north. 
ALIMENT. 
Their principal food is arboreous, though they take for. variety 
some of the grasses and mosses freely ; and, when necessity de- 
mands, will live on almost any sort of vegetation found in their 
range. In winter, when all herbaceous vegetation is deeply 
buried in the snow, they depend entirely on the trees and 
shrubs. 
Their favorite haunts, especially in summer, are in the neigh- 
borhood of rivers, lakes, and marshy or swampy grounds, where 
the grasses which flourish are long and coarse. In winter, they 
are more inclined to resort to higher ground, but generally where 
dense forests and almost impenetrable thickets prevail. ‘Qheir 
long legs, and short, thick necks, incapacitate them to gather the 
low grasses upon which most other vegetarian quadrupeds may 
freely feed, so that they can only conveniently feed upon the 
upper portions of the taller grasses. The deep snow in the 
regions in which they live conceals them in winter, when they 
are obliged to depend on the forests for sustenance. This neces- 
sity, of itself, is sufficient to form habits and tastes inclining them 
to this class of food. So it is that we generally find the habits 
of animals spring from constraint or necessity, which conforms 
them physically to the conditions in which they live. 
Exceptionally, among ruminants, the Moose feeds upon ever- 
greens, as well as upon deciduous trees and shrubs. 
THE CHASE. 
Even before the introduction of firearms among them the abo- 
rigines were successful in their capture, and even depended 
largely upon the flesh of the Moose for their support. To accom- 
plish this, great ingenuity and perseverance were often exercised, 
while at other times, as in the water or on the crusted snow, it 
was not a difficult undertaking, and even now these conditions 
render them an easy prey to the hunter. 
