90 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
the females later still, and until after they have dropped their 
young. 
When I come to treat of the antlers of the deer as a distinct 
subject, and compare each with the other, I shall compare the 
antlers of the European reindeer with our own, when it will ap- 
pear that the European are appreciably less palmated than the 
American ; still I agree with those who find no specific difference 
between the reindeer of Europe and our Woodland Caribou. 
The forms of the feet and hind legs enable them to travel over 
the deep snows better than any other ruminant of their size. 
The foot itself is very broad and thin, and the same is true of 
the accessory or hind hoof, which on this animal seems to serve 
areal purpose. In traveling through the snows, or soft marshy 
ground, the Caribou throws his hind feet forward, so as to bring 
the leg into something of a horizontal position, spreads wide his 
claws, and broad accessory hoofs, and thus presents an extraordi- 
nary bearing surface to sustain him on the yielding ground, and 
so he is enabled to shuffle along with great rapidity, where any 
other large quadruped would mire in a bog, or become absolutely 
snow-bound. The Reindeer alone leaves in his track the marks 
of all four of his hoofs belonging to each hind foot, and specimens 
show the effects of attrition on these secondary hoofs, and prove 
that they serve a useful purpose in the economy of the animal. 
The white band around the lower part of each leg, extending 
up so as to embrace the hind hoofs, and even slightly above them, 
is an interesting mark. Its regularity and uniformity at once 
distinguishes it from the erratic and irregular white observed 
about the feet of the Virginia deer, and very rarely on the wa- 
piti deer, while it is entirely wanting about the feet of all the 
other Cervide, so far as my investigations enable me to speak. 
The dress of this animal is admirably adapted to the rigors of 
the climate in which he winters. The hairs are long and spongy, 
containing a large amount of confined air. As the season ad- 
vances, they grow in diameter so that they become very dense, 
even to the degree of forcing them to a certain extent into an 
erect position. Underneath is a dense coat of fur, like that of 
the American elk. The hairs are crinkled, and terminate with 
a sharp point, being coarser in full winter costume than those 
found on most of the other members of this family. 
The skin is thin, and makes soft, pliable leather, and is highly 
prized by thé natives for clothing, and, when properly tanned 
with the hair on, makes a suit almost impervious to the cold. 
