of the curious, fome of which are of a moft enormous fize, there is every reafon to conclude, that the animal which bore them must have been of a proportionable bulk and ftrength.

Those who speak of the gigantic Moofe, fay, their horns are fix feet long, and measure, from tip to tip, above ten feet: The beams of the horns are short; from which they spread out into large and broad palms, one fide of which is plain, but on the outfide are several fharp fnags or fhoots.

The European Elk grows to the height of feven or eight feet; and in length, from the end of the muzzle to the insertion of the tail, measures ten feet: The head is two feet long; the neck, on which is a fhort, upright mane, of a light-brown colour, is much shorter: Its eye is fmall; and, from the lower corner of it, there is a deep flit, common to all the Deer kind, as well as most of the Gazelles: The ears are upwards of a foot in length, very broad, and fomewhat flouching; the noftrils are wide; and the upper lip, which is fquare, and has a deep furrow in the middle, hangs greatly over the lower, from whence it was imagined by the ancients, that this creature could not graze without going backward: The withers are very high, the hind legs much fhorter than the fore legs, and the hoofs deeply cloven: From a small excrefcence under the throat, hangs a long tuft of coarse black hair: The tail is very fhort, dusky above, and white beneath: The hair is long and rough, like a Bear, and of a hoary-brown colour, not much different from that of the Afs.

The pace of the Elk is a high, shambling trot; but it goes with great fwiftnefs.-Formerly thefe animals were made use of in Sweden to draw fledges; but as they

were frequently acceffary to the escape of fuch as had been guilty of murders or other crimes, this ufe of them was prohibited under great penalties.

In paffing through thick woods, these animals carry their heads horizontally, to prevent their horns being entangled in the branches.

The Elks are timid and inoffenfive; except when wounded, or during the rutting season, when the males become very furious, and at that time will swim from ifle to ifle in pursuit of the females. They strike with both horns and hoofs; and poffefs fuch agility and ftrength of limbs, that, with a fingle blow of the fore foot, they will kill a wolf or a dog.

Their flesh is extremely sweet and nourishing. The Indians fay, they can travel farther after eating heartily of the flesh of the Elk, than any other animal food. Their tongues are excellent; but the nofe is esteemed. the greatest delicacy in all Canada. The fkin makes excellent buff leather; and is strong, soft, and light: The Indians make their fnow-fhoes, and likewise form their canoes, with it. The hair on the neck, withers, and hams, of a full-grown Elk, from its great length and elafticity, is well adapted to the purpose of making matraffes and faddles.

The methods of hunting thefe animals in Canada are curious. The first, and most fimple, is,-before the lakes or rivers are frozen, multitudes of the natives afsemble in their canoes, with which they form a vast crescent, each horn touching the shore; whilst another party on the fhore furround an extenfive tract: They are attended by dogs, which they let loofe, and prefs towards the water with loud cries. The animals, alarmed by the noife, fly before the hunters, and plunge into the lake,

where they are killed by the people in the canoes with lances and clubs.Another method requires a greater degree of preparation and art. The hunters inclose a large space with stakes and branches of trees, forming two fides of a triangle; the bottom opens into a fecond inclosure, which is fast on all fides: At the opening are hung numbers of fnares, made of the flips of raw hides. They affemble, as before, in great troops; and, with all kinds of hideous noises, drive into the inclosure not only the Moose, but various other kinds of Deer, with which that country abounds. Some, in forcing their way through the narrow pafs, are caught in the fnares by the neck or horns; whilft those which escape these, meet their fate from the arrows of the hunters, directed at them from all quarters.-They are likewise frequently killed with the gun. When they are firft difcovered, they squat with their hind parts, and make water; at which inftant the sportsman fires: If he mifs, the Moofe fets off in a most rapid trot, making, like the Rein-deer, a prodigious rattling with its hoofs, and running twenty or thirty miles before it ftops or takes the water. ufual time for this diverfion is in winter. The animal can run with ease upon the firm furface of the snow; but the hunters avoid entering on the chase till the heat of the fun is strong enough to melt the frozen crust with which it is covered, and render it fo foft as to impede the flight of the Moose, which finks up to the shoulders, flounders, and gets on with great difficulty: The sportsman pursues in his broad rackets or fnow-fhoes, and makes a ready prey of the diftreffed animal.

“As weak against the mountain-heaps they push
"Their beating breast in vain, and piteous bray,
"He lays them quiv'ring on th' enfanguin'd fnows,
“And with loud fhouts rejoicing bears them home."

The

The female is lefs than the male, and has no horns. They are in season in the autumn; and bring forth in April, fometimes one, but generally two young ones at a time, which arrive at their full growth in fix years.

THE AMERICAN

ELK,

of which we here give a faithful portrait from a living one lately brought from the interior parts of America, feems to be a different animal from that generally defcribed under the name of the Elk or Moofe-deer, to which it has very little refemblance. It feems, indeed, to belong to a distinct species; and is probably the Elk or Orignal of Canada and the northern parts of America.

At the age of five years, the length of this creature was nine feet, from the end of the muzzle to the infertion of the tail; the head and neck being extended in a line with the body: Its height at the shoulder was four feet fix inches; length of the head, one foot fix inches; breadth over the forehead, seven inches; length of the fore legs, two feet five inches; length of the neck, two feet fix; its ears, nine inches; and tail, three. Its horns, which it had just shed, are not palmated, like those of the Moofe: They are large; and, when full grown, meafure above fix feet, from tip to tip. The antlers are round, and pointed at the ends: The lowermoft antler forms a curve downward over each eye, to which it appears a defence. Its hair was long, of a dark dun colour on the back and fides; on the head and legs, dark-brown: Its eyes full and lively; and below each eye there is a deep flit, about two inches in length, the use of which we are unable to discover.

It was very lively and active; of great strength of body and limbs: Its hoofs fhort, and like those of a calf; the divifion between them is lefs than in thofe of the Rein-deer; and, when the animal is in motion, they do not make a rattling noise. It has no mane; but the hair under its neck is longer than that on any other part of the body.

We were told by the owner of this very rare and beautiful animal, that it does not attain its full growth till twenty years old, and that it sheds its horns every third year.

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