428 



The National Geographic Magazine 



DEERLAKE, SANDY RIVRR DISTRICT, NEWFOUNDLAND 

 Where the water migration of the caribou was studied. Note camera in bow of canoe 



half the distance north of Grand Lake 

 that we had gone the year before. Our 

 camp was located at the outlet of the 

 lake, which, with the adjoining one, 

 formed an east-west base line of more 

 than nine miles across the southerly line 

 of migration. Here, on the second day, 

 a fine stag with an antlered doe and fawn 

 quickly entered the water, and looking 

 neither to the right nor the left, began 

 their long swim across the lake. 



In a few minutes the canoe was by 

 their sides, when, raising their heads 

 aloft — previously held close to the wa- 

 ter — they made a gallant effort to out- 

 strip us, their stubby white tails held 

 aloft like peaceful flags of truce. Yet 

 why describe what the camera saw each 

 day, when here are the scenes them- 

 selves. 



I was surprised to note the small num- 

 ber of fawns, based upon close personal 

 observations and those of several others. 

 In more than 300 does of which I have a 

 record last fall there was on an average 

 "but one fawn to four does — in striking 

 contrast to the moose and the deer, who, 

 "besides usually having two young each, 

 are more or less harassed by the timber 



wolf and cougar, while in Newfoundland 

 man is the sole enemy of the caribou, for 

 the wolves, once numerous, have about 

 become extinct. 



And this proportion held true under a 

 great variety of circumstances ; for with 

 single does three were barren out of 

 every four, and in a group of four there 

 would be but one fawn or none, and in 

 one band of sixteen does, crossing the 

 river in single file, I counted but four 

 fawns, and in larger herds the young 

 were equally scarce. While this may be 

 due to the extremely damp and rigorous 

 weather in the spring, at the time the 

 fawns are born, or to the peculiar habit 

 of single stags in rounding up great herds 

 of does each fall, the fact seems to be 

 that the young of each year are away 

 below the average of those of the other 

 antlered game in this country. 



And if my conclusions are right, it 

 only points out the great necessity for 

 proper game laws on this island ; for 

 once these great herds of caribou are 

 greatly reduced in numbers the process 

 of restoration will be extremely slow. 



There is another matter that I may 

 express an opinion upon, though it differs 



