Reclinor rigidus
The biggest animal in the Northern forest. When full grown, stands about thirteen feet high and weighs around sixty hundredweight. The snout is warty, and the ears coarse and flopp, like a pair of tired gunnysacks. The head is clean bald and curiously lumpy and bumpy. The best phrenologist in the world would throw in his hand if asked to make a reconnaissance of this party's dome. Instead of hair he wears pine needles; and a steady diet of pine knots makes the pitch ooze constantly from his pores.
The legs lack knee, fetlock, or hock joints so the Hugag can’t lie down. Has to sleep standing. Usually braces its splayed feet and leans again a tree to take a nap. Such sleep-trees are often badly bent, usually remaining so.
He is not dangerous; when aroused he merely bristles up and looks like a heap of pine slash. To catch one, just saw a few of his favorite sleep-trees two-thirds through. If he falls down, he can’t get up any quicker than a greenhorn on skis. The huge animal does little harm save when he leans against buildings. It is Wise to clean them out before erecting camps.
Found around the Lake States, in Western Wisconsin, northern Minnesota and as far north as James Bay. The last One reported killed was up on Turtle River—a young one, weighing barely eighteen hundred pounds.
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