202 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

and wealth of the natives. In Lapland, as the author of
“Tales of Animals” puts it, he supplies the place of the horse,
the cow, the sheep, and the goat. “ Alive and dead, the rein-
deer is equally subservient to their wants. When he ceases
to exist, spoons are made of his bones, glue of his horns,
bowstrings and thread of his tendons, clothing of his skin,
and his flesh becomes a savoury food. During his life, his
milk is converted into cheese, and he is employed to convey
his owner over the snowy wastes of his native country. Such
is the swiftness of the reindeer that two of them, yoked in
a sledge, will travel a hundred and twelve English miles in
a day.” The reindeer will draw about 300 lbs. weight, though
250 Ibs. is a sufficient average load. His ordinary pace is
said to be about ten miles an hour and his powers of endur-
ance are very great. His pace for a short distance is thus
given by Pictet, who took the measurements and tested the
speed of three animals yoked to light sledges. “The first
deer performed 3089 feet, 9 inches, in two minutes, being
at the rate of nearly 19 English miles in an hour, and thus
accomplishing 25 feet, 9 inches, in every second. The second
did the same in three minutes; and the third and last deer,
in three minutes and twenty-six seconds. The ground in this
race. was nearly level.” The reindeer is gregarious in its
wild state, and retains its social instinct when in a state of
domestication. When travelling, the hindmost animals follow
their leader with dogged persistency, even though the leader
may make a circuit which the followers might avoid by taking
a direct cut. Nor will they accept the guidance of their drivers
in such cases and if dragged out of their course by main force
will return to it as soon as the force is removed. In his own
way, however, the reindeer will follow unerringly though his
leader may be out of sight, moving along with his nose close to
the ground and tracing the way by his scent, which is very keen.
The reindeer is much troubled in the summer time by the
attacks of stall flies. De Broke says, “The poor animal is thus