14S 



ORDEES OF MAMMALS— HOOFED ANIMALS 



walking; astride of them, and "riding them down," 

 and in the manipulation of small branches, the 

 use of the overhanging and prehensile nose is 

 strikingly apparent. With their strong lower 

 front teeth, used chisel-fashion, they gouge the 

 bark off large branches, and feed upon it. In 

 grazing on grass, or feeding upon ground mosses, 

 a Moose must kneel in order to reach them. 



During the deep snows of winter, Moose herd 

 together in sheltered spots in the forest; and 



Copyright by Dall DeWeese. 



ANTLERS OF AN ALASKAN MOOSE. 



■Spread, 68 inches. From an animal killed on the 

 Kenai Peninsula, by Dall DeWeese. 



through their moving about in a small area, the 

 snow is trodden clown until they form what is 

 called a "Moose yard." 



Naturally, because of its grand proportions, 

 and its massive antlers, the Moose has been to 

 every hunter of big game a grand prize. Al- 

 though difficult to find and approach within 

 •easy rifle-shot, when approached it is killed easily 

 and without danger. During the past five years, 

 this species has been fairly protected through- 

 out the eastern half of its range, and in 1902 this 

 protection was by Act of Congress extended over 



the whole of Alaska. Without real protection, 

 ten years' time surely would see this magnificent 

 animal, which Nature has been millions of years 

 in bringing to perfection as we now see it, prac- 

 tically exterminated throughout North America. 

 In 1900 the legislature of the state of New 

 York appropriated $5,000 to be expended in re- 

 storing wild Moose to the Adirondack wilderness, 

 from which the species was exterminated by 

 man, forty years ago. Up to September, 1903, 

 fifteen head of young Moose had been purchased, 

 chiefly in Canada, taken to the Adirondacks, and 

 liberated. Although the responsible guides and 

 guides' associations are using all their influence 

 to secure the protection of the liberated Moose 

 and elk, already have individuals of both those 

 species been shot. It is greatly to be feared 

 that the well-meant efforts of the state, and 

 also of public-spirited private individuals, will 

 accomplish little else than to furnish more 

 meat for lawless persons who kill until they are 

 caught, and then plead that they killed their 

 Moose and elk "by mistake!" It is also to be 

 feared that the Adirondack Moose will migrate 

 northward into Canada, and remain there. 



It remains to be seen how much the real 

 men of the Adirondacks are going to ac- 

 complish against the Moose-killers and their 

 supporters. 



The Alaskan Moose has obtained a place in 

 the annals of natural history to which its title is, 

 at the least, very questionable. It has been 

 described as a new species (Alee gigas), and a 

 giant besides; and because of this, and its really 

 immense antlers, it has dwarfed prevailing ideas 

 regarding the more southern species (A. ameri- 

 canus). 



For the exaggerated ideas of this animal that 

 now quite generally prevail, its antlers are per- 

 haps chiefly responsible. Occasionally they are 

 of great size and weight, exhibiting enormous 

 spread (from 70 to 78 inches), wide palmations 

 and also great thickness (from 1-j to 2 inches). 

 Their maximum dimensions considerably surpass 

 those of antlers from more southern individuals. 

 In addition to all this, they occasionally show 

 freaky development in the shape and set of the 

 brow antlers; and occasionally the main shovel 

 throws out a palmated spur of striking form and 

 size. Seen from the front, it often happens that 

 the antlers of an Alaskan Moose present a chaotic 



