The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-30
The American Reindeer.

The artist, Mr. c. c. Ward, has paper
in lScribRer's Magaziae for December on
'sGaribou-Hunting," from which we quote
as follows:
The animal Is very compact in form,
possessed of great speed and endurance,
and is very Ishmaelite in les wandering
habits; changing, as the pest of flies draws
near, from the lOw-lying swamps and woods
where its principal article of diet, the
Caad0aia rGngeterila, or reindeer lichen,
abounds, to the highest mountain fastnes-
sesi then again as 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, and use
them to defend the fawns against the at
tacks Of the bucks. Both sexes use their
hoofs to clear away the snow in searching
for MOSES on the barrens. In their bien-
NAL migrations, they form well-deined
tracks or paths, along which the herds
travel in Indian file. have often studied
their habits on the extensive caribou bar
rens between New River and the head of
Lake Utopia, in Charlotte county, New
Brunswick. These barrens are about six
teen miles in extent, and marked with we'll
defined trails, over which the animals were
constantly passing andre-passing, here and
there spending day where the lichens
afforded good living, then away again on
their never-ending wanderings.
A friend Of mine, who visited Newfound-
land on an exploring expedition, informs
me that there the caribou holds almost ex-
elusive domain over an unbroken wilder
ness 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 unmolested, he will unconeernedIy
trot up within range Of the rife I am
inclined to believe that great deal of this
apparent fearlessness is due to defective
vision. If this is so, he is compensated
by having marvellous gift of scent, quite
equal, if not superior, to that of the moose.
And well for the caribou that he is thus
gifted. The wolf follows the herds through
out all their wanderings. On the plains
or on the hills, where the poor caribou re-
tire to rear their young, he is constantly
lurking near, ready to pounce on any strag-
gler, or-if in sufficient numbers-to bold
ly attack the herd.
The woodland caribou is very swift. and
cunning in devices to escape his pursuers;
his gait is long swinging trot, which he
performs with his head erect and scut up.
and there is no animal of the deer tribe
that affords better sport or more delicious
food when captured. The wandering hab-
Its of the caribou make it very uncertain
where one will fall in with him, even in
his accustomed aud well-known haunts.
When once started, the chase is sure to be
long one, and its results doubtful.-in
fact so much so that an old hunter seldom
follows up retreating herd, but resorts to
strategy and tries to head them of, or at
once proceeds by the shortest way to some
other barren in hopes of finding them
there.
The caribou is very fond of the water,
is capital swimmer, and in jumping he
Is more than the equal Of any other deer.
His adventurous disposition, no doubt, in
some degree influences the geographical
distribution of the species In the month
of December, 1877, q caribou was discov-
cred floating 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 off to him in boat.
1t is said that in very severe seasons,
large numbers of caribou cross from Lab
rador to Newfoundland on the ice. His
admirably constructed hoof, with its sharp,
shell-like, cutting edges, enables him to
cross the icy foes; when travelling in deep
SHOWS, its lateral expansion prevent him
from sinking.