Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-12
THE EVENING STAR.
TUESDAY, August IL. 1879.
TT ESDAY,
Thn NTA RAes

lord Dunraven in July Mn eteenth century
The moose (Cervus alces) A no carlooo Ger
.us Ianglfer) are the principal Wye gaiie 70 , "
aosno ~ IN Sanada The moose Is sat 'e h,g
oI qulte Is hands and weighs about zVv pouno
OF more. The moose of America IS utmost, Il
not quite, Identical with the elk OF Fur 'pe; pu
u attalns greater size. The horns esp claily
are much finer than those TO be found On the
countries.
deer, but IT suffers also from some terrible MS
advantages which make 1t an easy prey TO ,ts
great ana principal destroyer man. Whereas
tribe the female has but one fawn az a birth.
the cow moose generally drops two calves
which is much 10 favor OF the race. The moose
Is blessed with an intensely acute sense OF
hearing, and IL Is exceedingly wary and diff.
cult to approach. On the other hand. IL is but
little fitted to move in deep snow, owing to its
hoofs specially adapted for deep snow, the
moses feet are small compared with the gre at
bulk OF the animal Ii, therefore, II Is once
found and started when the snow lies deep
upon the ground its destruction Is a matter OF
certainty; it breaks through the snow 10 Sold
earth at every step, becomes speedily eN-
sausted and falls an easy prey TO men and
to supply food for even one moose In sun
mer 1t feeds good deal upon the stems and
roofs OF " ater-lilies, but its staple food con-
slsls OF me tender shoots CT the moose wood,
ground maple, alder, birch, poplar and other
deciduouS trees. IL is fond of ground hem
lock, ana VIII also occasionally browse uoon
me sapin, or canada baIsam, and even upon
spruce, though that Is very rare. and | have
known them when hard pressed TO gnaw bark
OF the trees. Nova Scotia and New Bruins
wick are nearly settled up" More and more
land is cleared and brought under cultivation
every day: more and more forest cut down wear
by year; and the mooSe-Supporting portion OF
the country is becoming very limited in extent
an hrn f1,ar IA
which could easily be preserved IL only reason
able laws could be enforced. Ii adapts ttseif
wonderfully TO civilization. A young moose
viii become as tame as a domestic COW In
snort time Moose become accustomed TO the
ordinary noises OF settled country with such
facility that they may sometimes be found
feeding within few hundred yards OF a road
a Al railway does not appear TO disturb them at
barking OF dogs and the cackling OF geese OF a
farm house, in places where the animals must
have been constantly hearing men shouting,
dogs Barking, and all the noises OF a settle
ment. Their sense OF hearing is developed In
wonderful degree, and they appear to be pos
sessed OF some marvellous power Of discrImi-
hating between innocent sounds and noises
which Indicate danger. ON windy day, when
the forest is full OF noises-trees cracking
branches swapping and twigs breaking-the
moose viii take no notice Of all these natural
sounds; but IL man breaks twig, or treading
on dry stick snaps 1t on the ground, the moose
VIII distinguish that sound from the hundred
voices OF the storm and be Off In a second.
Why Is II that the moose has developed no pc
culiarity with regard to its feet, adapting him
especially to the country In which he dwells.
while the cariboo that shares the woods and
barfens with him has done 80 I'm remarka BILE
degree, viii leave philosophers to decide. In
the car1boo the hO0fs are very broad and round
and split up very high, so that when the ani-
NAL treads upon the soft surface OF the snow
the boots spreading out form a natural kind OF
Snow-Shoe and prevent its sinking deep. The
frog becomes absorbed toward winter, so that
the whole weight OF the animal rests upon the
hoof, the edges OF which are as sharp as knife
and give the animals so secure fo0thold that
they can run without fear or danger on the
slippery surface OF smooth glare ice. Now the
moose, on the contrary Is about as awkward
on the Ice as Shod horse and will not venture
out on the frozen surface OF lake If he can
help it. His feet are rather small and pointed
aEd allow him to sink and founder helpleSsly
IN the deep SHOWS Of mid-winter and early
spring.