THE MOOSE. 436 



coarse and angular, breaking if bent. Its movements are rather 

 heavy, and the shoulders being higher than the croup, it does not 

 gallop, but shuffles or ambles along, its joints cracking at every 

 step, with a sound heard to some distance. Increasing its speed, 

 the hind-feet straddle, to avoid treading on its fore-heels, tossing 

 the head and shoulders, like a horse about to break from a trot to 

 a gallop. It does not leap, but steps without effort over a fallen 

 tree, a gate, or a split fence. During its progress it holds the 

 nose up, so as to lay the horns horizontally back. This attitude 

 prevents it seeing the ground distinctly, and as the weight is 

 carried very high upon the elevated legs, it is said sometimes to 

 trip by treading on its fore-heels, or otherwise, and occasionally to 

 give itself a heavy fall. It is probably owing to this occurrence 

 that the elk was believed by the ancients to have frequent attacks 

 of epilepsy, and to be obliged to smell its hoof before it could 

 recover ;. hence the Teutonic name of elend (miserable), and the 

 reputation, especially of the fore-hoof, as a specific against the 

 disease." 



The senses of smelling and hearing, are very acute in all the 

 deer family, and especially in the moose. The ears are kept in 

 perpetual motion, being moved to and fro so that they may catch 

 the slightest sound made in their proximity. The nose conveys to 

 the brain the faintest taint in the air of a man or an animal 

 approaching with the wind, even from a considerable distance, and 

 before the hunter can clearly discern the moose, it has become 

 alarmed, and moved away with a silence that is perfectly won- 

 derful for so ponderous a beast. 



In his description of the dreamy solitudes of a North American 

 pine-forest Captain Hardy,^ observes, " Although almost all of our 

 mammalia are nocturnal in their habits, and many of them beasts 

 of prey, their nightly wanderings and strife with their victims are 

 conducted in the most orderly manner. Quiet, noiseless stealth 

 appears to be the characteristic feature of all animal life in the 

 forest; mutual distrust of the same species, and ever-present 

 tendency to alarm, predominate even in the wildest districts, where 

 the sight of man is unknown, or at least unremembered. At the 

 2 "Forest Life in Acadio," 1869. 

 ]? f 2 



