1853.] NATURAL HISTORY. 363 



Pym, was despatched to shoot it ; but he failed, although 

 the animal was daring enough to sit up and spit at him 

 M it hin twenty yards. The bifurcation of his fine bushy 

 black tail was beautifully displayed, and probably some- 

 what disconcerted Mr. Pym, spoiling his aim. I believe 

 however that it was wounded, and effected its escape by 

 the crevices of the rock. Nearly at the same moment a 

 ptarmigan (mistaken for a goose or deer) was noticed : 

 on my return it was butchered, by getting suddenly on 

 it before I perceived it ; however, in these times we kill 

 for the cook, not for preservation. 



Our collection from the sea has been more abundant 

 than I could have imagined, an account of which will ap- 

 pear with the Natural History. The Euryale or Asterias 

 Medusa was found in great numbers in deep water, and on 

 one occasion so bematted a swab, that extrication, with- 

 out destroying the arms, was not possible . one complete 

 specimen only, to establish the species, was preserved. 



After a detention of a most harassing nature for thir- 

 teen days, we were again free, and pressing forward. 

 But before quitting this region let us examine the rela- 

 tive temperatures experienced by Parry and ourselves. 

 During the entire month of August, 1820, I notice that 

 he experienced a minimum temperature of 22, -colder 

 than we have experienced at all, the lowest, at four A.M. 

 on the 31st of August, corrected, being 24'5. As he had 

 quitted the entrance of Lancaster Sound before the 1st 

 of September, we cannot follow him; but at Port Bowen, 

 a much more suspicious position, it did not fall below 

 16, and that not until the 18th. I consider that as far 

 as the 16th of October of that year I would not have 



