. Illustrated natural history : comprising descriptions of animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, etc., with sketches of their peculiar habits and characteristics . Zoology. 166 VERTEBRATES. growing to the height of our largest oxen. It inhabits Canada anj other parts of North America, and has been confounded with the Moose. Its horns are very large, measuring nearly six feet from tip to tip. It is very fierce, and boldly attacks an antagonist. The Axis is of the small number of ruminating animals which wear horns, like the stag. It has the shape and swiftness of the fallow-deer; but what
. Illustrated natural history : comprising descriptions of animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, etc., with sketches of their peculiar habits and characteristics . Zoology. 166 VERTEBRATES. growing to the height of our largest oxen. It inhabits Canada anj other parts of North America, and has been confounded with the Moose. Its horns are very large, measuring nearly six feet from tip to tip. It is very fierce, and boldly attacks an antagonist. The Axis is of the small number of ruminating animals which wear horns, like the stag. It has the shape and swiftness of the fallow-deer; but what distinguishes it from the stag and fallow-deer is, that its body is marked with white spots, elegantly disposed, and separated one from another, and that it is a native of hot countries (Hindostan, and particularly Bengal); while the stag and deer have their coat of a uniform color, and are to be met with in greater numbers, in cold countries and temperate regions, than in hot climates. The Rein-Deer forms the sole riches of the Laplander, and its care is almost his only occupation. Accord- ing to the season, he mi- grates to the sea shore, the plains, or the mountains. The rich often possess 2000 head; and the poorer sel- dom less than 100. The adult male, in a wild state, is even larger than a stag; but the domesticated races. are somewhat smaller; the sight and scent of these creatures are astonishing, and guide them with wonderful precision through the most dangerous passes, and in the darkest stormy nights of an Arctic winter. To this sagacity the Laplander trusts his life with the greatest confidence; and accidents rarely happen: they draw his sledge with such amazing rapidity, that in twenty-four hours a pair of Eein-deer have been said to perform a journey of 100 miles. In a wild state they are gregarious; and, when domesti- cated, evince an excessive attachment to each other. During summer they are much tormented by a species of gad-fly; but the old account of the glut
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1883
