Moose ahoy!

OK, just as I'm a sucker for anything medieval looking--see the previous post--I am also a sucker for anything to do with Moose (Alces alces, not the one that shows up at Amerks games). "Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose" by Lee Alan Dugatkin certainly caught my eye, with its picture of Jefferson riding an enormous moose. Subtitled "Natural history in early America", I thought it might be an interesting read.

It was interesting. I had no idea that the balance of Europe, especailly the French, espoused the idea that the American continents, along with the animals and people contained therein, were considered degenerate compared with all things, places, animals and people European. Especially French, as it was a Frenchman who originated the theory. Ce diabolique! Jefferson, of course, would have none of it and spent considerable time in refutations of the theory. He also tried mightily to obtain a specimen of moose, as large as possible, to prove the Frenchman worng. Imagine the logistics of moving a large animal like that from the American shores to inland France in the late 1700's...the moose did not fare well, and the Frenchman never entirely recanted his theory. But, along the way, it made for a diverting read!