150 
THE REIN-DEEIi. 
mer, is the young shoots of the birch and willow, 
with a variety of mountain pasture and shrubs. 
During summer a migration to tlie coast appears es- 
sential to their health ; and when in a state of domes- 
tication, this is yearly observed by the family of the 
Laplander migrating with his herds, for a sojourn of 
some montlis to the vicinity of the sea. In winter, 
the food consists in a great part of various lichens, 
but principally the rein-deer moss as it is called, 
Cenomyce rangiferina. In seeking for this, they 
use their broad hoofs, and sometimes the horns, to 
remove the snow, and the sense which the animal 
possesses to search for the plant, and to know the 
part of the ground where it grows, under a deep 
covering of snow, is extremely fine. “ The natural 
quickness in this respect,” says Broke, “ is amazing. 
When a halt with the sledges was made, they quickly 
set themselves to uncover the moss, but if the stop- 
page happened to be on a lake, the attempt was never 
made, though the snow, as in the other case, was 
some feet in dej)th above the ice.” * 
There is a singular propensity in the rein-deer to 
feed on the lemmings, which they seize and devour 
with a sort of unrestrainable jtaasion. During the 
migrations of these little animals, the herdsman is 
frequently unable to keep his deer together, they dis- 
perse so widely and eagerly in search of them. 
Several attempts have been made to introduce the 
Sir A. C. Brooke, p. 502. 
