THE REINDEER. 63 



body of Reindeer consists of many thousands, and 

 though they are divided into herds of two or three 

 hundred each, yet the herds keep so near together as 

 to form, only one immense mass, which is sometimes 

 from fifty to a hundred versts, or thirty to sixty miles, 

 in breadth. They always follow the same route, and 

 in crossing the river Aniuj, near Plobischtsche, they 

 choose a place where a dry valley leads down to a 

 stream on one side and a flat, sandy shore facilitates 

 their landing on another. As each separate herd ap- 

 proaches the river, the deer draw more closely to- 

 gether, and the largest and strongest takes the lead. 

 He advances, closely followed by a few of the others, 

 with head erect, and apparently intent on examining 

 the locality. When he has satisfied himself he enters 

 the river, the rest of the herd crowd after him, and 

 in a few minutes the surface is covered with them. 

 Wolves, bears, and foxes hang upon the flanks and 

 rear of these great migratory bodies, and prey upon 

 the stragglers, and invariably many casualties occur 

 at the fords where the weak or wounded animal is 

 swept away by the current." 



A graphic account is given, by the same author, of 

 the migration of Reindeer as observed by him in his 

 journey through the stony Tundra, near the river 

 Baranicha, in north-eastern Siberia. 



" I had hardly finished the observation, 5 ' he writes, 

 " when my whole attention was called to a highly 

 interesting, and to me a perfectly novel spectacle. 

 Two large migrating bodies of Reindeer passed us at 

 no great distance. They were descending the hills 



