The Labrador Reindeer Herd. 
Labrador, like Alaska, is the home of the 
caribou, to both of which countries it is native, 
but owing to decimation from various causes 
new stock has had to be introduced, to the one 
district from Siberia, and to the other from 
Norway and Lapland. A few were brought to 
Alaska from Lapland, and the first herders and 
trainers in that district came from Lapland. The 
number of reindeer in Alaska is now about 
15,600 and the expenditure on their account has 
been $155,000 since the movement to replenish 
began. These animals are now kept and used 
like domestic cattle elsewhere for food, milk, 
transportation and sundry economic purposes. 
The instigator of this beneficence was the Rev. 
Sheldon Jackson, Alaska agent of the Bureau 
of Education, since 1882, and he has saved the 
natives from starving and been of inestimable 
service to the Government and to the miners and 
rnushers in facilitating travel across country. In 
imitation of so desirable an innovation the Rev. 
Dr. Wilfred T. Grenfell, the indefatigable Labra- 
lor missionary, who is even more widely known 
han Jackson, planned last summer to introduce 
eindeer into Labrador, and so vigorous and 
prompt has been his actions that on Dec. 4 1907 
1 consignment of 300 deer, including 250 does 
md twenty-five bucks and twenty-five workers 
>r harness deer, were shipped from Boston to 
>t. Anthony missionary station in northeastern 
'lewfoundland, where they will winter on the 
bundant indigenous moss to be found in the 
lcinity. As soon as the ice comes off from the 
oast in spring they will go forward, and at the 
nd of a year the number will be doubled by 
atura! increase, allowing for casualties. 
The difficulties of making this collection and 
mpment is reported by Wm. H. Reed, the Bos¬ 
on agent, located at No. 10 Broad street, for the 
formation of subscribers to the reindeer fund 
1 the following open letter which was printed 
'.the Boston Transcript only a week before 
fortunately became practicable. 
* Suitable steamers have been extremely 
ird to find to undertake the voyage to Labra- 
5r so late in the season, on account of the dan- 
r of ice and fog in these latitudes. 
After nearly three months of effort a steamer 
as finally chartered for £1,700—fitted for the 
>yage. She was to be ready to receive the deer 
without antlers) by the first of December, to- 
■ther with a large supply of moss for forage 
r the voyage. The difficulty has been to get 
e reindeer, the moss and the steamer all as- 
mbled on the spot at the date agreed. The 
ure °f any one of these to arrive would put 
Peril the whole scheme. 
'If the reindeer arrived before the moss they 
_ t st arve. If both were ready before the 
arner the forage would disappear, and there 
»ud be sca „ t sup piy for the voyage> although 
tnirty days supply was to be provided. The 
>ss comes from the far northern wilds, where 
•re is n° other vegetation, and has to be trans- 
ted from the mountains to the coast by deer 
sledges, a total of five hundred loads of 340 
pounds each, a big undertaking requiring time. 
This cannot be done until the ground is well 
frozen and the snow has come, for the long con¬ 
tinued mild weather in Lapland and Norway has 
added seriously to the troubles of the agents 
who have this in charge. 
' * * * The Laplanders with whom the ar¬ 
rangement was made fixed the dates of ship¬ 
ment With ample margin for such delays, but 
this season the margin may not prove to be 
sufficient. Families of Laplanders with their 
dogs, to accompany the deer and herd and train 
them, were contracted for, and every detail of 
their emigration has had to be arranged. Once 
on board fifteen to twenty days ought to suffice 
for the voyage. 
“ * * * Meanwhile the treasury of the rein¬ 
deer fund is open for any additions to it that 
An Introduced Grouse. 
At various times within the past twenty years 
there have been imported to this continent and 
turned out a few specimens of the splendid black 
grouse of Europe, called by naturalists Lyrurus 
tetnx. This name, as might be imagined, is 
given to it from its curiously lyre-shaped tail, 
the quills of which curve outward. These taii 
feathers are familiar to many a traveler who has 
never seen the bird, for they are a favorite orna¬ 
ment for the hats among the men of the moun¬ 
tain peasants of central Europe. This species 
is also called, according to sex, black cock or 
gray hen. 
It ranges over most of Europe north of the 
Pyrenees and Apennines as well as through 
northern Asia as far east as Pekin. It is an in¬ 
habitant of the higher lands, mountainous slopes 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE GRAY HEN. 
may be sent to Mr. Reed, as we shall need 
money for the maintenance of the deer until they 
are domesticated and trained to lighten the bur¬ 
den’s of the people, to give a cup of milk to the 
babies, and food, clothing dnd transportation to 
those who are fighting so hard a battle in the 
frozen North.” 
[Forest and Stream is indebted to Mr. Charles 
Hallock for this most interesting communication. 
Our summer visitors to Labrador this year will 
be enabled to investigate and note progress. It 
presages a happier future for this desolate and 
“godforsaken” region.— Editor.] 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to 
supply you regularly. 
and the moors of Scotland and England, but ii 
is not found in Ireland. A bird furnishing splen¬ 
did . sport, it has been exterminated in certain 
sections and then reintroduced, but the testimony 
of British sportsmen at the present seems con¬ 
clusive that the black cock are steadily, if slowly, 
decreasing in Britain. For this decrease many 
reasons are suggested, as many as have been 
suggested for the decrease of our ruffed grouse, 
but it cannot be doubted that over-shooting has 
much to do with it. In the first place the sea¬ 
son opens in August when the birds are young, 
lie like stones, and when they rise at the shoot¬ 
er s feet are very easily killed. Two months 
later, the killing of these birds would become 
quite a different matter, for they are then much 
better able to take care of themselves. 
Another reason for their lessening numbers is 
their destruction by the rook, a more or less 
