In some of the earlier accounts, particularly, more than one form of _Rangifer_ (_e.g._, Peary's Caribou, the Labrador Caribou, or even the Woodland Caribou, in addition to the typical Barren Ground Caribou) may have been treated under a single designation, such as "Reindeer" or "_Cervus tarandus_." In such case the word "part" is added in parentheses after the name at the beginning of the entry. As far as is possible or feasible, the references are here limited to _R. a. arcticus_. They constitute a partial summary of the nomenclatural history of the typical subspecies.
The annotations aim to provide a sort of abstract of, or unalphabetized index to, the treatment of this animal in each publication. Each topic or rubric of the annotations (such as migration, distribution, food, voice, antlers, or relation to Wolves) is accompanied by page references.
In the earlier part of the present publication, at the end of the discussion of each topic, references are given (merely by author, year, and page) to previous literature on the same topic. The Annotated Bibliographical References now supplied represent an amplification of those earlier and briefer references--an intermediate stage between them and the original literature. It is hoped that they will prove particularly helpful to those who may not have ready access to all the items of the original literature. My own coverage of the literature has not been by any means exhaustive; limitations of time and insufficient accessibility of some of the rarer publications have been the principal factors involved in this deficiency.
The chronological arrangement of the entries throws an interesting light on the gradual acquisition, during more than two centuries, of our present stock of information on the distribution, taxonomic characters, life habits, and general status of _Rangifer arcticus arcticus_. It may be remarked, however, that one of the very earliest accounts (Hearne, 1795) was one of the fullest. It contributes toward bringing into focus the remarkable attainments of that pioneer explorer-naturalist of the Barren Grounds.
"Deer" (one of three kinds): Isham, 1949 (1743): 151 (description); 152 (inhabit Barren Grounds); 152-153 (snares); 154 (Eskimos hunting with spears and arrows).