364 Proceedings of the 



in the different species, I have spoken of characteristic examples 

 of the full-grown animal, not of young or exceptional horns. 



The dentition in the young deer is deserving of notice. 

 The incisors overlap one another in a curious manner, ex- 

 cept the outermost, which fits into a groove on the edge of 

 the penultimate tooth. In the older heads the teeth stand 

 apart. They are all very small ; and the mode in which 

 they are worn away in the older animals is peculiar. In- 

 stead of being worn flat on the crown, or somewhat inwards, 

 as is the case with other ruminant animals, the front of 

 the central teeth are worn down obliquely outwards. This 

 arises most certainly, not from nipping Usneas hanging from 

 the trees, or from cropping grass like a sheep, but from grub- 

 bing up the Cenomyces and other lichens growing flat on the 

 surface of the ground — an additional argument in favour of 

 these being their principal food. 



Another interesting structure in these animals remains to 

 be noticed ; I mean the fur or hair. Of this Sir John Richard- 

 son says — " In the month of July the caribou sheds its winter 

 covering, and acquires a short smooth coat of hair of a colour 

 composed of clove brown, mingled with deep reddish and 

 yellowish browns ; the under surface of the neck, the belly, 

 and the inner sides of the extremities remaining white in all 

 seasons. The hair at first is fine and flexible, but as it 

 lengthens it increases gradually in diameter at its roots, be- 

 coming at the same time white, soft, and compressible, and 

 brittle, like the hair of the moose deer. In the course of the 

 winter the thickness of the hairs at their roots becomes so 

 great that they are exceedingly close, and no longer lie 

 down smoothly, but stand erect ; and they are then so soft 

 below that the flexible coloured points are easily rubbed off, 

 and the fur appears white, especially on the flanks. The 

 closeness of the hair of the caribou, and the lightness of its 

 skin when properly dressed, renders it the most appropriate 

 article for winter clothing in the high latitudes. The skins 

 of the young deer make the best dresses, and they should be 

 killed for that purpose in the months of August or September, 

 as after the latter date the hair becomes too long and brittle. 

 The prime parts of eight or ten skins make a complete suit of 



