124 
CARIBOU OR AMERICAN REINDEER. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
The American Caribou or Reindeer has by most authors been- regarded 
as identical with the Reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ) of Europe, Greenland, 
and the Asiatic polar regions. The arguments in favour of this suppo- 
sition are very plausible, and the varieties which the species exhibits, in 
America, together with the fact that the antlers of the Reindeer assume 
an almost infinite variety of forms, that they differ not only in different 
specimens, but that the horns on each side of the head of the same animal 
often differ from each other, afford still stronger grounds for the supposi- 
tion : notwithstanding all this, supposing that they are only varieties, they 
have become such permanently in our continent, and require separate 
descriptions, and as they must be known by particular names we have 
supposed we might venture on designating the American Reindeer as a 
distinct species, admitting at the same time that the subject requires closer 
comparisons than we have been able to institute, and further investigations. 
We believe that several naturalists have bestowed new names on the 
American animal, but we are not aware that any one has described it, or 
pointed out those peculiarities which would separate the species. Among 
the rest, we were informed that our esteemed friend Professor Agassiz had 
designated it as Tarandus furcifer , and believing that he had described it 
we adopted his name on our plate ; subsequently, however, we were 
informed that he had merely proposed for it the name of Cervus hastatus. 
He did not, however, describe it, and as the common name under which it 
has been known for ages past in America will be most easily understood, 
and can by no possibility lead to any misapprehension as regards the 
species, we have named it Rangifer Caribou, and respectfully request our 
subscribers to alter the name on the plate accordingly. 
