Natural History of the Hudson's Bay Territories. 17 



their young till the latter end of May or beginning of June, 

 or till the last snoiv is disappearing. The horns begin to 

 grow in about a month ; at the end of the year they fall off, 

 being about 8 inches long, and not branched ; at the end 

 of the second year they are about feet long, curved, and 

 with terminal points, and are cast off in spring ; the third 

 year the front and brow antlers commence to grow, but are 

 not large at the end of the year, and are cast off again in 

 spring; the fourth year they are larger, but not full-grown, and 

 are cast off in spring ; the fifth year they are still growing, 

 and are cast off in March ; after the fifth year they are cast 

 off in November. The Indian also states, that the antlers 

 have a variety of shapes, and that it is rare to find two exactly 

 alike. With regard to the training or domestication of the 

 rein-deer I can say nothing from my own experience, nor from 

 that of any Indian at this place ; but I may mention, that I 

 have recently seen a gentleman who passed many years near 

 the head waters of the River Synauria (a river which falls into 

 the St Lawrence, near the Town of Three Rivers, in Lower 

 Canada), and that he had seen a young rein-deer among the 

 Indians as tame as a lamb ; it entered the lodge, and fol- 

 lowed its master like a dog ; but it was at last killed by the 

 dogs. ? ' 



Mr Mackenzie's observations will be of use in correcting 

 misconceptions on one or two of the points alluded to by me. 

 It would appear that the American species uses its feet in 

 clearing away the snow from its food, as much as the Lap- 

 land species does ; and the cup-shaped structure of its feet, 

 as shown in the specimens now sent home, is admirably 

 adapted for this. That it does not use the projecting shovel- 

 like brow antlers for the same purpose I am less willing to 

 admit ; the apparent adaptation of their form to this pur- 

 pose induces me to defer forming a definite opinion upon it 

 until further information be obtained ; the rather that, how- 

 ever intelligent and truthful the Indian referred to by Mr 

 Mackenzie may be, his statement is merely negative, and 

 is inconsistent with the observations of such authors (few in 

 number though they be) as notice the point. 



As to the identity of the Lapland species with the North 



VOL. II. c 



