V, Fig. 1) are pink and usually ill shaped, having round blunt ex- 
tremities, and lack of pigmentation in the horns predisposes the 
animal to sun scald, and the horns therefore are usually scabby. As 
opposed to this, a healthy normal reindeer has large horns with sharp 
points. 
None of the white deer were noted to be true albinos, but many 
were " wall-eyed," i. e., with the iris containing dark pigment, 
although the sclera are pink and white (PI. IV, Fig. 2). The white 
animals react to light, and appear to have some difficulty in seeing on 
a clear day. Their eyes are running and are kept closed as much as 
possible. 
Both Lapps and Eskimos have noticed what they call the sleeping 
propensity of white animals, and state that it is possible to approach 
and capture them when they are lying down. For this reason it is 
said that bears and other predatory animals frequently catch them. 
One white fawn (Pi. V, Fig. 2) was noticed lying in the middle of 
a corral apparently oblivious to all the noise and confusion that was 
going on at the time. It was possible to walk up to it, apparently 
without its hearing or being aware of one's presence, and when 
touched gently it would partly raise its head and then go to sleep 
again. When it finally became aware that it was being touched by 
a man, it got up and made off in a great hurry. This observation was 
repeated later, so that it seems established that white animals are 
deficient in hearing and scent as well as vision. 
These inferior animals have been allowed to breed and increase 
because there has been absolutely no attempt to cull and grade up the 
animals in the herds in Alaska and also because the natives are fond 
of spotted or white clothing and keep the animals to produce skins. 
The only argument heard in defense of the white reindeer comes 
from the Lapps, who state that a few white animals are of value in a 
herd because they can be seen at great distances in summer and there- 
fore help in the herding. 
DISPOSITION. 
The question is often asked, " What domestic animals do reindeer 
most resemble in habits and disposition?" It may be said that they 
have some of the characteristics of sheep, cattle, and horses. They 
flock together like sheep, but graze more like cattle; and in intelli- 
gence and activity they more nearly resemble the horse. They are 
much more intelligent than cattle, but not so intelligent as the horse. 
Many people think that, having such a spread of antlers, reindeer 
must be dangerous. This is very far from being the case ; the rein- 
deer are gentle, but like other domestic animals the bucks are vicious 
during the rutting season. At other times of the year it is perfectly 
safe to walk about among a herd packed into a corral, and the ani- 
