316 WILD BEASTS OF THE WOULD 



capacity it is generally yoked to a sledge, either singly, as in Lapland, 

 or several abreast, as in Northern Asia. Some tribes in Asia also ride 

 their Reindeer, which are larger than the European breed ; but, gene- 

 rally speaking, tame Reindeer are not so large and fine as wild ones, 

 and they are also more variable in colour. 



Reindeer will live in our climate, but do not thrive very certainly, 

 though they have often been exhibited in our Zoological Gardens ; 

 they certainly ought to be introduced into the cold regions of the 

 southern hemisphere, where there is at present a complete absence of 

 land mammals, so that they would be of great service to those forced 

 to spend any length of time in the inhospitable islands of these 

 southern seas. 



