Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-11-28
The American Reindeer.

The artist. Mr. c. {. Ward. has a paper in the
December scRiBSER on Ca Caribou-HuntIng, ," from
which We quote as iollows
The animal is very compact In form.
possessed of great speed and endurance.
and is very I,hmaelite in its wandering
habits; changing. as the pest of flies draws
near. from the low-lying swnmps aud
woods where its principal article Of diet.
the C1adOnia taRgeferind. or reindeer Itch
en-, abound-, to the highest mountain fast
nesses, then again MS the cold nights give
warning of the changing season, descend.
ing TO the plains.
Horns are common to both sexes, but
the horns of the bucks are seldom carried
later than the month OF December while
the does carry theirs all winter. AMI use
thcm TO defend the fawns against the at
tacks of the bucks. Both sexes use their
hoofs To clear away the snow in searching
for mosses on the barrens. In their biei,-
nial miyratinns. they form well-deined
tracks or pains, along which the herds
travel in Indian file. have often studied
their habits on the extensive caribou bar
rens between New River aud the head of
Lake Utopia. in Charlotte County, New
Brunswick. These bnrrens are about six
teen miles in extent, and marked with
well-defined trails. ovri which the animals
here and there spending = day where the
lichens Afforded good living. then away
again on their never-endiny wanderiugs.
friend of mine, who visited New fourd-
land on an exploring expedition. Informs
me that there the caribou holds almost
exclusive domain over an unbrOken wild
erness of nearly thirty thousand square
miles, in country wonderfully adapted to
his habits, and bountifully supplied with
his favorite food-the reindeer lichen.
The caribou is possessed of much curl
Osity. and does not readily take alarm at
what he sees. Where his haunts have
been uumOlested, he will unconcernedly trot
up within range Of the rife. am inclined
10 believe that great deal Of this appar-
ent fearlessness is due to defective vision.
II this be SO, he Is compensated by having
a marvellous gift Of scent, quite equal. il
not superior, TO that of the moose. Aud
we'll for the caribou that he is thus gilt
ed. The wolf follows the herds through
out all their wsnderings. On the plains or
on the hills, where the poor caribou retire
to rear tn, ir young. he Is constantly lurk-
ing near, ready to pOunce on any stray
gler Or-if 10 sufficient numbers--tO bold.
ly attack the herd.
The woodland caribou Is very swift and
cunning in devices to escape his pursuers !;
his gail is long swinging trut. which he
performs with his head erect and scut dn,
and there is no animal of the deer tribe
that affords better sport or more delicious
food when captured. The wandering hab-
It's of the caribou make it very Uncertain
where one will fall in with him even in
his accustomed and well-known ha,ints.
When once started, the chase Is sure 10 BE-
long one, and its results doubt ful-n
fact SO much 90 that 40 old hunter seldom
| follows up retreatin2 herd, but resorts to
strategy and tries to head them off. or at
once proceeds by the shortest way 70 some
! other barren In hopes Of finding them there.
The caribou Is very fond Of the water, 10