REIN DEER. 271 



ance, as in the annexed figure of the male, which 

 was first given by Gesner, and which is pronounced 

 by Linnaeus a good representation : the figure of 

 the female is taken from the celebrated work of 

 Ridinger, and has also been published in the third 

 supplemental volume of the Count de Buffon's 

 Natural History. 



The Rein Deer is celebrated for its services to 

 the simple and harmless inhabitants of Lapland, 

 who, undisturbed by the sound of war, or the 

 troubles of commerce, lead a kind of pastoral life, 

 even within the frozen limits of the Arctic circle, 

 and have no other cares than those of providing 

 for the rigours of their long winter, and of rearing 

 and supporting their numerous herds of Rein 

 Deer, which may be said to constitute almost 

 their whole wealth, and Avhich are used not only 

 for the purposes of food, but for travelling occa- 

 sionally over that frozen country during the win- 

 ter season. 



Linnaeus, in his Flora Lapponica, gives a very 

 flattering description of the felicity of a Laplan- 

 der s life : 



O felix Lappo ! qui in ultimo angulo mundi 

 sic bene lates contentus et innocens. Tu nee 

 times annon^ caritatem, nec Martis prselia, qua^ 

 ad tuas oras pervenire nequeunt, sed florentissi- 

 mas Europe provincias et urbes, unico momento, 

 saepe dejiciunt^ delent. Tu dormis hie sub tua 

 pelle ab omnibus curis, contentionibus, rixis Hber, 

 ignorans quid sit invidia. Tu nulla nosti nisi 

 tonantis Jovis fulmina. Tu ducis mnocentissi- 



