132 
REIN DEER. 
therefore; have recourse to other inventions to de- 
ceive the caution of these animals. The marks- 
man, for example, goes, clad in rein deer skins, 
stooping in the middle of five or six rein deer, 
trained for the purpose, which he leads by a rope 
fastened to his girdle; and he is enabled, by this 
means to approach very near the wild herd without 
bein g bet raved. 
O J, 
In autumn, which is the rutting season, the hun- 
ters pick out , a strong and vigorous buck from 
their droves, to whose antlers they tie nooses, and 
then turn him loose among the wild herd. The 
wild stag, on observing a strange rival, immedi- 
ately rushes on to fight him. During the combat, 
lie so entangles his antlers in the loops, that when 
lie descries the hunter, and strives to escape, the 
tame buck strikes his head to the ground, and 
there pins his antagonist fast till the marksman 
can kill him. 
Ail persons who have described the rein deer, 
Iiave taken notice of a cracking noise which they 
make when they move their legs. This has been 
attributed to the animals separating and afterwards 
bringing together the divisions of their hoofs ; 
which, as they inhabit a country generally covered 
with snow, are therefore admirably adapted to the 
surface they have mosf commonly to tread. The 
under part is entirely covered, with hair, in the 
same manner that the claw of the ptarmigan 
is with feathery bristles, which is almost the only 
bird that can endure the rigour of the same cli- 
mate. 
The hoofs, however, are not only thus protected; 
but the same necessity which obliges the Lapland- 
ers to use snow shoes, makes the extraordinary 
width of the rein deer's hoofs to be equally con- 
venient in passing* oVer snow, as it prevents their 
sinking too deep, which they w ould be subject to 
