Part 12

Another function of the foot-glands is suggested by an observation of Dugmore's (1913: 89-90), which has been mentioned in the section on _Signaling_. I could not definitely connect any of the various occasions of panic that I observed, with scent from the foot-glands of preceding Caribou that had been frightened.

_References._--Caton, 1881: 265; Pocock, 1911: 960-962; Seton, 1929, +3+: 68, 105; Sutton and Hamilton, 1932: 84; Harper, 1949: 230.

_Mastology_

Very little seems to have been published on this subject. Jacobi (1931: 24) merely remarks that in the Reindeer the mammae number four, or occasionally six, but that the supernumerary ones are not functional. The four rudimentary mammae in a male fawn of _arcticus_ (No. 1072) of August 20 seemed remarkable for their arrangement in a nearly straight transverse row--quite different from the more rectangular pattern in a domestic Cow or in a male Moose, as figured by Seton (1929, +3+: 221). In an adult doe (No. 1101) of September 21 the anterior pair are about twice as far apart as the posterior pair; each of the mammae appears no more than a couple of inches from the one nearest to it. The arrangement in a two-year-old buck, as shown by Seton (1929, +3+: 106), is approximately intermediate between linear and rectangular.

_Fat_

A Caribou (probably a buck) secured about the end of June was reported to have back fat half an inch thick--possibly resulting from the fresh green spring feed. In August, however, scarcely any fat was to be found on the animals; perhaps the annual renewal of pelage and the summer harassment by flies had been deterrents to the storage of fat. In September and early October the Caribou were in prime condition. On September 19 there was a fresh piece of back fat half an inch thick; two days later there was another piece three times as thick. In 1943 (a year of great mushroom growth) the animals were said to have become particularly fat. According to Charles Schweder, the doe never becomes so fat as the buck; one of September 21, still nursing, was just slightly fat. An adult buck of September 29 was recorded as "somewhat fat"; two of October 16 were "rather fat" and "quite fat." Charles has seen as much as 3 inches of fat on a buck. The strips of back fat brought into camp on October 8 from several bucks weighed about 5 to 10 lb. apiece. Such fatness evidently prepares the bucks for the strain of the rutting season, when they neglect their feeding and become very poor and thin. This loss of fat occurs in about two weeks. The does also lose some fat at this season, but slowly. In some winters the Caribou remain fat, but in other winters they do not. In the latter case there may be deep snow that hinders their feeding. In the spring the Caribou become fat again, and they are in that condition when they arrive from the south in May.

The eagerness of the Eskimos and the Indians for fat results in their selection of the biggest bucks, which generally carry the most fat. Charles Schweder spoke of the tail of such an animal almost disappearing, apparently engulfed in fat! Besides its use in the native diet, the fat goes into the making of "Eskimo candles" (see section on _Relations to man_).

_References._--Franklin, 1823: 240; Armstrong, 1857: 477-478; Whitney, 1896: 161; Elliot, 1902: 276; R. M. Anderson, in Stefánsson, 1913b: 505-506; Stefánsson, 1921: 231-234, 246-247, 252; Jenness, 1922: 48, 101, 248; Birket-Smith, 1929 (1): 48, 90; Seton, 1929, +3+: 113-114; Critchell-Bullock, 1930: 193; Weyer, 1932: 40; Hornby, 1934: 105; Hamilton, 1939: 109; Downes, 1943: 228; Manning, 1943a: 53.

BODY-MEASUREMENTS AND WEIGHTS

Columns:

A: No. B: Sex and age C: Date D: Length E: Tail F: Foot G: Ear from crown H: Height at shoulder I: Shoulder joint to hip joint J: Circumference of neck at base K: Circumference of body behind shoulders L: Length of front hoof M: Length of hind hoof N: Estimated weight (lbs.)

====================================================================== A B C D E F G H I J K L M N ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1033 M ad Jun 3 1820 160 516 130 1000 1000 81.5 78 140 1046 M ad Jun 18 1880 190 546 137 1029 92 84.5 1065 M ad Aug 17 1750 146 555 120 1080 1010 1185* 80 74 200 1111 M ad Sep 29 1710 155 532 129 1020 740 82.5 78 200 1132 M ad Oct 16 1710 120 530 120 1002 975 200 1144 M ad Oct 16 117 545 120 1110 90 84.5 200 Average of M M ad 1774 148 537 126 1080 995 740 1093 85.2 79.8 188 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1101 F ad Sep 21 1590 113 490 134 870 860 490 77 72 160 1095 M juv Sep 7 960 90 360 85 620 525 290 610 49 45 35 1072 M juv Aug 20 1150 125 423 89 750 645 60.5 55.5 50

[Footnote *: _After skinning._] ======================================================================

MEASUREMENTS OF SKULLS

Columns:

A: No. B: Sex and age C: Date D: Condylobasal length* E: Zygomatic width F: Interorbital width G: Length of nasal H: Maxillary tooth-row I: Mandibular tooth-row

====================================================================== A B C D E F G H I ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1065 M ad Aug 17 373 130 140 125 94 101 1144 M ad Oct 16 356 135 140 122 82 1111 M ad Sep 29 359 134 138 112 82 1046 M ad Jun 18 374 131 135 121 97 104 1132 M ad Oct 16 350 136 138 117 83 91 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Average of M M ad 362.4 133.2 138.2 119.4 87.6 98.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1101 F ad Sep 21 324 117 121 101 85 1036 F ad Sep -- 118 120 83.5 79 83.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1072 M juv Aug 20 215 92 85 54 1095 M juv Sep 7 189 85 77 42

[Footnote *: _Tip of premaxillary to posterior plane of condyles._] ======================================================================

MEASUREMENTS OF ANTLERS

Columns:

A: No. B: Sex and age C: Date D: Total length, right antler E: Total length, left antler F: Brow antler, length G: Brow antler, width H: Greatest spread of beams (outside measurement) I: Total number of points

============================================================== A B C D E F G H I -------------------------------------------------------------- 1065 M ad Aug 17 1165* 1205* 875* 1144 M ad Oct 16 1200 1180 290 232 668 32 1111 M ad Sep 29 1080 1080 279 235 655 32 1132 M ad Oct 16 960 903 225 197 677 30 -------------------------------------------------------------- Average of last 3 1080 1054.3 264.7 221.3 666.7 31.3

[Footnote *: _Antlers in velvet. Unless otherwise specified, lengths of antlers were measured along the curve._] ==============================================================

MEASUREMENTS OF TESTES

Seasonal change in the size of testes in adult males is indicated by the following data: June 3, 30×18 mm.; June 18, 51×28.5; August 17, 50×35; September 29, 61×38; October 16, 60×40. Two male fawns: August 20, 18×7; September 7, 15×8.5.

_References on measurements._--J. C. Ross, in John Ross, 1835b: xviii; J. A. Allen, 1910: 8; Seton, 1929, +3+: 97; Sutton and Hamilton, 1932: 87; Flerov, 1934: 240; Murie, 1935: 75; Soper, 1944: 248; Banfield, 1951a: 30.

_References on weight._--Parry, 1824: 305; Richardson, 1829: 241, and 1852: 290; Armstrong, 1857: 475, 498; Baird, 1857: 635; M'Clintock, 1860?: 184; Osborn, 1865: 227; Schwatka, 1885: 84-85; Collinson, 1889: 153; J. B. Tyrrell, 1892: 128; Whitney, 1896: 237; J. W. Tyrrell, 1908 (1898): 79; Jones, 1899: 329; Hornaday, 1904: 138, and 1914, +2+: 104; J. A. Allen, 1910: 8; Seton, 1929, +3+: 97-98; Critchell-Bullock, 1930: 55; Hornby, 1934: 105; Banfield, 1951a: 15, 30.

_Geographical variation_

The comparatively few specimens available indicate that different populations on the mainland, between Hudson Bay and the Mackenzie River, vary in size. Final judgment on the significance of this variation must await the accumulation of more and better material. The lack of topotypical material from the Fort Enterprise area, Mackenzie, is a particular handicap.

The extreme and average body measurements of five adult males from the Windy River area (see accompanying table) may be compared with those of three adult males, taken by R. M. Anderson, 1910 and 1912, at Langton and Darnley Bays (Nos. 34431, 34432, and 34435, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.): length, 1980-2095 (2052); tail (two specimens), 152-165 (158.5); height at shoulder, 1066-1167 (1117); shoulder to hip (one specimen), 964. The average length of these specimens exceeds that of the Windy River specimens by 278 mm.; the average height at the shoulder, by 37 mm. The length of an adult male from Artillery Lake (J. A. Allen, 1910: 8) exceeds the Windy River average by 156 mm., and its shoulder height (Seton, 1929, +3+: 97), by 10 mm., but the length of its hind foot, as recorded, is 17 mm. less than the Windy River average.

The measurements of four adult females, taken by Anderson, 1910 and 1911, at Langton Bay, Horton River, and Great Bear Lake (Nos. 34429, 34434, 34441, 34442, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.) are: length, 1625-1815 (1736); height at shoulder, 825-1066 (968); shoulder to hip (one specimen), 863. The average length of these specimens exceeds that of a Windy River adult female by 146 mm.; the average height at the shoulder, by 98 mm. The length of an adult female from Aylmer Lake (J. A. Allen, 1910: 8) exceeds that of the Windy River specimen by 112 mm.; the length of its hind foot, by 18 mm.; and the height at the shoulder (Seton, 1929, +3+: 97), by 43 mm.

Thus there appears to be a fairly uniform tendency toward greater body measurements from southwestern Keewatin to northwestern Mackenzie. The weight of Seton's male from Artillery Lake (270¾ lb.) considerably exceeds the maximum (200 lb.) that I estimated for any of the Windy River males. Maximum measurements are furnished by winter specimens from the region of Langton and Darnley Bays.

The skulls of two adult males from Horton River and Artillery Lake (Nos. 34502 and 29031, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.) measure, respectively: condylobasal length (tip of premaxillary to posterior plane of condyles), 381, 371; zygomatic width, 138, approximately 142; interorbital width, 143, 144; nasal, 126, 112; maxillary tooth-row, 87, 84; mandibular tooth-row (of No. 29031), 93. The rostral profile of the former is slightly convex; of the latter nearly flat. Comparison with Windy River adult males (see accompanying table) indicates a longer and a broader skull in the more northwesterly specimens. The measurements of the skulls of Southampton Island specimens as presented by Sutton and Hamilton (1932: 87), suggest a somewhat larger animal than the mainland form.

The left antler of an adult male from Horton River (No. 34502, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.) measures: length, 1248; length of brow tine, 345; width of brow tine, 360; total points (both antlers), 16 + 14 = 30. The corresponding measurements of two sets of antlers from Fort Reliance in the American Museum of Natural History are: No. 121471 (left), 1242-285-108; (right), 1244-412-294; total points, 16 + 23 = 39; No. 121473 (left), 1312-360-290 (broken); (right), 1230 (approx.), brow tine a spike, not palmated; total points, approximately 19 + 13 = 32. The Fort Reliance specimens were selected by George G. Goodwin from a large number of old antlers lying about, and they are naturally above the average in size. The antlers of adult males from the Windy River area (see accompanying table) measure distinctly less than those just mentioned.

Anderson (1913b: 505) and Stefánsson (1913a: 106, and 1913b: 241, 276-277) have called attention to certain rather well-defined differences between the Caribou on both sides of Coronation Gulf and those elsewhere in northern Mackenzie. It may be assumed that the summer home of the former type is on Victoria Island. Many of these animals in former years crossed over to the mainland in the autumn after the freezing of Dolphin and Union Strait, Coronation Gulf, and Dease Strait made such a migration possible; and they recrossed to the island in the spring. During recent years this migration has greatly dwindled (Blanchet, 1930: 50; Birket-Smith, 1933: 93; Clarke, 1940: 98; Gavin, 1945: 227; Godsell, 1937: 288; Banfield, 1949: 481); consequently the Victoria Island population now seems to be largely confined to that island throughout the year. In the American Museum of Natural History I have examined several of Anderson's specimens of 1911-1912 that are obviously of this form, and I should scarcely hesitate to give them nomenclatural recognition except for the fact that there has obviously been some confusion in the labeling of the specimens (after they reached the museum). Needless to say, a specimen selected as a type should bear unquestionable data.

During the winter there is some interchange of populations between Banks and Victoria islands across the frozen Prince of Wales Strait (Armstrong, 1857: 297, 336). The description that Armstrong gives (1857: 478), based ostensibly on Banks Island specimens, indicates that the animals of that island are very close to, if not identical with, _Rangifer pearyi_ of the more northerly Arctic islands. Yet there is no known interchange of populations across the frozen McClure Strait or other wide sea channels in approximately latitude 74° N.

The Caribou of Boothia Peninsula and Somerset and Prince of Wales islands are said to be a small form (Wright, 1944: 195).

The Caribou of the Dubawnt River region, as far as may be judged from J. B. Tyrrell's photographs (1897: pl. 1; Seton, 1929, +3+: pl. 22), are indistinguishable from those of the Nueltin Lake region.

The Southampton Island antlers figured by Sutton and Hamilton (1932: pl. 8) are so strikingly different from all but one (No. 1132) of those that I noticed in southwestern Keewatin that I should be much inclined to regard them as representing a separate subspecies, provided they are typical of that island. In most of the bucks of the Windy River area the beams are deeply and fairly uniformly bowed, although there is a strong tendency for approximately the basal third to be nearly straight, with a pronounced forward bend just above it (_cf._ figs. 3, 4, 9, 10, 12, 22, 25). The bend at this point in the Southampton antlers is extremely slight by comparison. In mainland specimens the beam in cross-section is generally more or less round, with rarely any tendency toward flattening, such as may be seen in the Southampton set and in my No. 1132. Furthermore, I cannot recall in the mainland animals a single such pronounced zigzag effect as may be seen in the Southampton antlers. In extremely few of them does the bez tine originate at such a distance (apparently 8 inches or so) above the base, as in Sutton and Hamilton's figure. The lack of palmation in the bez tines of their specimen is noteworthy.

There is a distinct likelihood that the isolated herd of Coats Island (Wright, 1944: 188; Banfield, 1949: 481), and also that of Salisbury Island in Hudson Strait (Grant, 1903: 189; Tweedsmuir, 1951: 37), may be distinct from the populations on the nearest large land bodies.

I have briefly examined a dozen or more heads (skulls with antlers) of the Labrador Barren Ground Caribou (_R. a. caboti_ G. M. Allen) in the United States National Museum; they were collected by L. M. Turner in the 1880's. Some of these antlers appear longer than any I saw in Keewatin. Furthermore, the tips of the bez tines in these specimens seem, on the average, more strongly incurved than in _R. a. arcticus_.

For the purpose of comparing the Barren Ground Caribou with the Western Woodland Caribou, _Rangifer caribou sylvestris_ (Richardson), the following notes are offered on an adult male of the latter form in the United States Biological Surveys Collection (No. 235361; fig. 28). It was secured by a Cree Indian on Stony Mountain, about 27 miles south of Fort McMurray, Alberta, on October 21, 1920, and it was measured and prepared by myself. The general dorsal color is near Prout's Brown, overlaid more or less with longer whitish hairs; outer surface of ears near Prout's Brown, with an admixture of grayish white hairs; tip of snout, between nostrils and upper lip, Cartridge Buff; this area of more restricted extent than the similar patch in _arcticus_; neck creamy; longest hairs of throat fringe about 20 mm. (longer than in _arcticus_); no appreciable dark longitudinal stripe on lower sides, but an ill-defined lighter patch on the side behind the shoulder; rump-patch apparently less extensive than in _R. a. arcticus_; venter near Buffy Brown, posteriorly creamy; creamy white "spats" above hoofs ¼ to 1½ inches wide, not extending up hind leg as indicated by Seton (1929, +3+: pl. 10). Length, 2025; tail, 225; foot, 625; front hoof, 109; hind hoof, 101; estimated weight, 300 lb. The Western Woodland Caribou is thus a distinctly larger animal than _R. a. arcticus_, with a noteworthy difference in the virtual absence of a light lateral stripe, setting off a darker stripe below it. The specific distinctness between the two animals seems abundantly clear.

_References to general descriptions (including geographical variation)._--Richardson, 1829: 239, 241-242; Armstrong, 1857: 478; Baird, 1857: 635; Caton, 1881: 105; Lydekker, 1898: 47-48, 1901: 38-40, and 1915: 254; Elliot, 1901: 37, and 1902: 281-282, 286-287; Preble, 1902: 42-43; Stone and Cram, 1904: 52; J. A. Allen, 1908a: 488; Millais, 1915: 261; Buchanan, 1920: 125-126; Anthony, 1928: 530-531; Seton, 1929, +3+: 98-99; Jacobi, 1931: 78-80; Sutton and Hamilton, 1932: 88; Degerbøl, 1935: 48-51; R. M. Anderson, 1937: 103; Hamilton, 1939: 109; Murie, 1939: 239; G. M. Allen, 1942: 297-298; Wright, 1944: 195; Rand, 1948a: 211-212; Banfield, 1951a: 15-17; Mochi and Carter, 1953: text to pl. 9.

_References to illustrations._--Parry, 1824: pl. facing p. 508; Richardson, 1829: 240; Caton, 1881: 207; Pike, 1917 (1892): pl. facing p. 89; J. B. Tyrrell, 1897: pl. 1; J. W. Tyrrell, 1908 (1898): pls. facing pp. 80, 81; Grant, 1903: 6th and 7th pls. following p. 196; J. A. Allen, 1908a: 500-503; Seton, 1911: 254, 256, 262, and pls. facing pp. 222, 224, 226, 228, 234; Buchanan, 1920: pl. facing p. 132; Hewitt, 1921: pls. 3, 5; Blanchet, 1926b: 47; Seton, 1929, +3+: pls. 17, 21, 22, 23; Blanchet, 1930: 50; Sutton and Hamilton, 1932: pl. 8, fig. 4; Ingstad, 1933: pl. facing p. 178; Clarke, 1940: frontisp., 85, 87, 89; Harper, 1949: 224, 229; Banfield, 1951a: figs. 1, 2, 12-16, 20, 21, 23; Anonymous, 1952: 261, 263, 266, 267; Mochi and Carter, 1953: pl. 9; Barnett, 1954: 90-91, 103-105.

LITERATURE CITED

ALCOCK, F. J.

1936. Geology of Lake Athabaska region, Saskatchewan. _Canada Dept. Mines, Geol. Survey Mem._ 196: [1]+41, 8 pl., 6 maps.

ALLEN, GLOVER M.

1942. Extinct and vanishing mammals of the Western Hemisphere with the marine species of all the oceans. [New York]: xv + 620, 1 pl., 24 fig.

ALLEN, J. A.

1908a. The Peary caribou (_Rangifer pearyi_ Allen). _Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist._ +24+ (22): 487-504, 12 fig.

1908b. Note on the type locality of _Rangifer arctica_ (Richardson). _Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist._ +24+ (29): 583-584.

1910. Mammals from the Athabaska-Mackenzie region of Canada. _Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist._ +28+ (2): 7-11.

AMUNDSEN, ROALD.

1908. The North West Passage. London: +1+: xiii + 335, 23 pl., 45 fig., 2 maps; +2+: ix + 397, 22 pl., 49 fig., 1 map.

ANDERSON, JAMES.

1856. Letter from Chief Factor James Anderson, to Sir George Simpson, F.R.G.S., Governor in Chief of Rupert Land. _Jour. Royal Geog. Soc._ +26+: 18-25.

1857. Extracts from Chief-Factor James Anderson's Arctic journal. (Communicated by John Richardson.) _Jour. Royal Geog. Soc._ +27+: 321-328.

ANDERSON, RUDOLPH MARTIN.

1913a. Arctic game notes. _Am. Mus. Jour._ +13+ (1): 4-21, 21 fig.

1913b. Report on the natural history collections of the expedition. Mammals. In: Vilhjálmur Stefánsson, My life with the Eskimo: 436-527, 4 pl. New York.

1924. The present status and future prospects of the larger mammals of Canada. _Scottish Geog. Mag._ +40+ (Nov.): 321-331.

1934a. Mammals of the Eastern Arctic and Hudson Bay. In: Canada's Eastern Arctic: 67-108, 8 fig., 1 map. Dept. Interior, Ottawa.

1934b. The distribution, abundance, and economic importance of the game and fur-bearing mammals of western North America. _Proc. Fifth Pacific Sci. Congress_: 4055-4075, 17 maps.

1937. Mammals and birds of the western Arctic district, Northwest Territories, Canada. In: Canada's western northland: 97-122, 4 fig., 1 map.

1938. The present status and distribution of the big game mammals of Canada. _Trans. Third No. Am. Wildlife Conference_: 390-406.

1947. Catalogue of Canadian Recent mammals. _Nat. Mus. Canada Bull._ 102: v + 238, 1 map, "1946."

1948. A survey of Canadian mammals of the north. _Prov. Quebec Assoc. Protection Fish and Game Ann. Rept. 1948_: 9-16.

ANONYMOUS.

1869. Biography of Robert Kennicott. _Trans. Chicago Acad. Sci._ +1+: 133-226, 1 pl. (Contains extracts from his journals).

1952. Canada counts its caribou. _Nat. Geog. Mag._ +102+ (2): 261-268, 12 fig., 1 map.

ANTHONY, H. E.

1928. Field book of North American mammals. New York--London: xxv + 625, 48 pl., 114 fig., 37 maps.

ARMSTRONG, ALEX.

1857. A personal narrative of the discovery of the North-West Passage. . . . London: xxiv + 616, 1 pl., 1 map.

AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES, and JOHN BACHMAN.

1854. The quadrupeds of North America. Vol. 3. New York: v + 348, 55 pl.

BACK, GEORGE.

1836. Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition to the mouth of the Great Fish River, and along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, in the years 1833, 1834, and 1835. London: xi + 663, 16 pl., 2 maps. (Also a Philadelphia ed., 1836, with 456 pp.)

BAILEY, ALFRED M., and RUSSELL W. HENDEE.

1926. Notes on the mammals of northwestern Alaska. _Jour. Mammalogy_ +7+ (1): 9-28, 3 pl.

BAIRD, SPENCER F.

1857. General report upon the zoology of the several Pacific railroad routes. Part 1. Mammals. _Reports of Explorations and Surveys, . . . from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean_ +8+: xxi-xlviii, 1-757, 44 pl., 35 fig.

BANFIELD, A. W. F.

1949. The present status of North American caribou. _Trans. Fourteenth No. Am. Wildlife Conference 1949_: 477-491, 2 maps.

1950. Caribou investigation. _Canadian Geog. Jour._ +40+ (1): 48-51, 5 fig.

1951a. The barren-ground caribou. _Canada Dept. Resources and Development_, Ottawa: vi + 56, 24 fig., 8 maps (Mimeographed.)

1951b. Notes on the mammals of the Mackenzie District, Northwest Territories. _Arctic_ +4+ (2): 112-121, 4 fig., 1 map.

1952. Report on caribou investigations in the Canadian Arctic, 1948-50. _Polar Record_ +6+ (44): 532-534. (Apparently a summary of Banfield, 1951a.)