The Yale expositor., 1912-04-04

ican bison The coat of the muskox is dark um-
ber In color. and in places even black but that
Of the leg and saddle however is so much
lighter as to appear in contrast with the rest
Of its fur as almost buff The hair of the name
and back is decidedly woolIy, but the rest Of its
coat falls in thick folds OF hair sometimes almost
completely obscuring its legs. and reaching to the
ground. So heavy is this coat that the and
tail, and often the base OF the horns, are
pletely hidden by it. Beneath this hairlike coat
Is of wool, somewhat OF a light chocolate
color. The greater development OF the fore quar-
ters particularly in the bull is marked that
when one OF these fully grown beasts advances
towards the hunter. it 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 scrns the grotesqueness OF
Its appearance is more greatly enhanced by the
masses OF wool that cling to the hair. and which
it Is at that time shedding
One Of the characteristic features OF this ami
NAL is the development Of it's horns. In the ma
tured animal these joined to the skull top
and almost at the They are wide and
peculiarly rough at the base. the uneven rough
gradually forming regular, uniform ridges
where the horns curve in towards the skull
finally assuming almost polished smooth8ess
as they taper to point and turn upward. If
line drawn from the point of one horn to
that of the other, il would be found to pass just
before the eyes. The horns are generally about
% inches in length. but there are many
where they have measured as much as 81. Those
of the bull much more heavy and massive
than those OF the COW and are almost joined at
the base. The horns yellowsh white in
color with the exception OF the tips which
black. The hoofs of the muskox are quite small
when compared with those Of the caribou. reia-
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 undoub
edly has the same function that on the under
part Of the paw Of the polar bear
During the long Arctic winter the muskoy
roams at large over the snow-covered barren
wastes that it inhabts. freqnenting those parts
where it best obtain the few lchens and
scanty mosses that form It's sustensnce and
which it RECEIVERS 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 hudde together for protection during the
great billiards. and better to repel the attacks OF
the then almost starving Arctic wolves prac
tjcally their sole enemy, from which by this and
other tactics they able to ward of the attacks
Of wild beasts. AS was the with the Amer
inexperienced, the aged outcast and the diseased
however. fall easy prey to the hungry lurkers
The muskox runs swiftly but maintain
gallop for but short time when. turning about,
II faces it's pursuer. forming into long line N
attacked from but one point. and into a circle VI
from several With glaring eyes and paving
hoofs II awaits the approach OF the intruder. when
apparently having sufficiently recuperated from
the exertlon. II again gallops Off only to make
another stand farther on. But ordinary man
can soon exhaust them by repeatedly putting
them to nght However. the muskox does not
always fy at the approach of man. and In mute
etupidlty a wbois herd will stand In line and
allow themselves to be shot down by a single
hunter, who win asve no dr'culty In securing