The Green Forest tribune., 1912-04-05

ican bison. The coat of the muskox is dark Der in color and in places even black but that of the leg and saddle" however is much lighter to appear in contrast with the rest of its fur as almost buff. The hair of the mane and back is decidedly woolly, but the rest of It's coat falls in thick folds of hair sometimes almost completely obscuring it's legs, and reaching to the ground. So heavy Is this coat that the and tail and often the base of the horns com petely hidden by 1t. Beneath this hairke coat Is of wool somewhat of a light chocolate color. The greater development of the fore quar- Fers particularly in the bull is marked that when of these fully grown beasts advances towards the hunter, 1t may readily be mistaken for two animals walking In close proximity. The muskox Is quite short limbed massive and stubby in build, and In the spring the grotesqueness of It's appearance Is more greatly enhanced by the masses of wool that cling to the hair, and which 1t Is at that time shedding
 One of the characteristic features of this anil nal Is the development of its horns. In the tured animal these are joined to the skull on top and almost at the rear. They wide and peculiarly rough at the base, the uneven rough ness gradually forming regular, uniform ridges where the horns in towards the skull finally assuming almost polished smoothness they taper to a point and turn upward. If line were drawn from the point of one horn to that of the other, it would be found to pass just before the eyes. The horns generally about 25 inches in length but there many where they have measured much as 27. Those of the bull much more heavy and massive than those of the COW and are almost joined at the base. The horns yeowish white In color with the exception of the tips which are black. The hoofs of the muskox quite small
 when compared with those of the caribou rela lively considering the weights of the animals They admirably adapted to assist the animal in crossing icy surfaces, having a considerable growth of hair between the hoofs which undoubt edly has the same function that on the under part of the paw of the polar bear.
 During the long Arctic winter the muskox at large the snow-covered barren wastes that it inhabits, frequenting those parts where it best obtain the few lichens and scanty mosses that form its sustenance and which it recovers by removing, the great depth of snow with its hoofs. At this time of the year the muskoxen assemble in herds much that they might huddle together for protection during the great blizzards and better to repel the attacks of the then almost starving Arctic wolves, prac -,ffcay their sole enemy, from which by this and other tactics they able to ward of the attacks of wild beasts. AS the case with the Amer lean bison and the buffalo wolf, the young and inexperienced, the aged outcast and the diseased, however fall an easy prey to the hungry lurkers The muskox runs swiftly but maintain a 1fallop for but a short time, when turning about, It faces its pursuer, forming into long line if attacked from but point, and into circle if from several With glarng eyes and paving boofs 1t awaits the approach of the intruder when apparently having sufficiently recuperated from the exertion, it again gallops of only to make another stand farther But an ordinary man can soon exhaust them by repeatedly putting them to flight. However, the muskox does not always fly at the approach of man. and in mute stupidity a whole herd will stand in line and allow themselves to be shot down by a single hunter, who will have difficulty in securing