Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-11-18

THE AMERICAN REINDEER.

This animal is very compact in orn,, pos-
sesscd Of very great speed and endurance, ard
is very lshmaelite in his wandering habib;
changing, as the pest Of dies draws near,
from the low-lying swamps and weeds where
its principal article of diet, the Gdd0nia
rangferind, or raindeer hchen, abounds, to
the highest mountain fastnesses then again
as the cold nights give warning of the chang
ing season descending to the plains.
Horns are common to both sexes, but tie
horns of the bucks are seldom carried later
than the month of December, while the d. es
carry theirs all winter and use them to de.
fend the fawns against the attacks Of the
bucks. Both sexes use their hoofs u ehar
away the snow in searching for mosaesa on
the barrens. In their biennial migratious,
they form well-defned tracks Of paths, along
which the herds travel in Indian file. have
often studied their habits on the extensive car
| ibou barrens between New River and the head
OF Lake Utopia, in Charlotte county, New
Brunswick. These barrens are about sixteen
miles in extent, and marked with ell-de6ned
trails, over which the animals were constant-
iy passing and re- passing, here aid there
spending a day where the lichens afforded
good living, then away again on their never
ending wanderngs. -"s %
A friend Of mine, who visited Newfound-
land on an exploring expedition, informs. me
that there the caribou holds almost exclusive
domain ever an unbroken wilderness Of near
ly thirty thousand square miles, IN country
wonderfully adapted 10 his habits, and boun-
tifully supplied with his tavrite food-the
reindeer lchen. ,rl,
The caribou is possessed Of much curiosity,
and does raobtlx- - = L
sees. Where his hauuts have been sunmo-
Tested, he will unconceruedly, trot up within
range of the rifle. am inclined to believe
Il that a great deal Of this apparent fearleasness
is due to defective vision. II this Is %, he
is compensated by having marvellous gift
OF scent, quite equal, il not superior, to that
OF the moose: And well for the caribou that
ne is thus gifted. The wolf follows the herds
throughout all their wanderings. On the
plains or on the hills, where the caribou re-
tire to rear their young, he is constantly
lurking near, ready to pounee on any strag
gler, or-it In sufficient numbers-to boldly
attack the herd iA@ '''on
cunning in devices TO escape his puisuers; his
gait is a long swinging trot, which he per
forms with his head erect and scut up,, and
e"SAS 20 ho uuiudi VI IHc ue6r JrlDe tA4t al.
fords better sport or more delicious FOOD when
captured. The wandering habitsssf thsIcar-
lbou make it very uncertain where one will
fall in with him, even in his accustomed and
well-known haunts. When once started tho
chase is sure to be a long one, and its results
doubtful in fact so much 60 that a old
hunter seldom follows up retreating herd,
but resorts to strategy aud tries to head them
of, or at once proceeds by the shortest way
to some other barren in hopes Of finding
them there. -a4g !uq's
The caribou is very fond Of the water, 10
a capital swimmer, and in jumping be is
more than the equal Of any other deer. His
adventurous disposition, no doubt, IN some
degree influences the geographical sdietribL.
tion of the species. In the month of Decem-
Der, 1877, IA caribou was discovered Aosting
out to sea on a cake of ice near Dalhousie, on
the Restigouche River in New Brunswick,
and was captured alive by some men who put
OF to him IN boat. GII Qm1H sfsH
1t is said that in very severe seasons, large
numbers of caribou cross from Labrador to
Newfoundland on the ice His admirably con-
structed hoof, with it's sharp, shell-like, cut
ting edges, enables him to cross the icy6oes:
when travelling in deep snow, its lateral ex-
pansion prevents him from sinking.-Mr. C.
e, Ward IN Scribaer's Magazine TOR De-
cember. = ~ sfA9