Ohlin, Zoological observations during- Peary Auxiliary Expedition 1894. 



The biggest one measured 8 f . 9 inch, in length. The following day 

 another was seen, but we did not shoot it. In the floeice off Clarence* 

 Head we were successful euoug-h to get two polarbears, and here as 

 well as at the entrance of Jones Sound we observed several others. 

 On our return, one old female and two cubs were shot from the vessel 

 not far from Cape York on August 27. In Inglefield Gulf the polar- 

 bear is very rare; no specimen was killed here during Peary's two 

 expeditious. According to former observations it seems to be most 

 common among the vast packice- fields of Melville Bay and on the 

 western side of the ,,uorthwater" of Baffin Bay. Indeed, it is very 

 strange that it should be so rare on the Greenland coast north from 

 Cape York, and it is difficult to give a satisfactory explanation of 

 this fact, the supply of seals here being, certainly, as good as, or, 

 perhaps, better than on the coast of Ellesrnere Land. Probably, the 

 Eskiinoes whose remains are still to be seen at so many places along 

 the whole coast of Grinncl- and Ellesrnere Laud from the 82nd degree 

 of latitude to Lancaster Sound, have abandoned their old , , igloos" on 

 this shore just because the seals are less numerous here than on the 

 eastside of Smith Sound. One might expect that the polarbear whose 

 food is mainly the same as that of the ,,huskies" should follow their 

 example and move eastward, but that does not seem to be the case. 



3. Phoca hispicla. - - Although only one specimen was brought on 

 board for examination, I have no doubt that this seal is the most 

 common in Smith Sound and its northern continuation from Cape York 

 to Cape Union, where it was observed during N ares' expedition; 

 probably the seal called ,,pooshi" by the natives around Inglefield 

 Gulf is identical with this species. In regard to the seals it is 

 much to regret that we could procure but very few specimens although 

 a great number of them were shot, the reason being that they sink 

 immediately in the water, if struck severely or killed by the ball. 

 Even if met with on the ice and wounded, they were generally quick 

 enough to jump down into one of their blowholes and disappear. In 

 most cases, I was thus compelled to base the determination of the 

 seals on the description I received from the members of Peary's expe- 

 dition or from the Eskiinoes as it is almost impossible to decide with 

 any great degree of certainty to what species a sealhead belongs 

 which looks up for a few minutes above the water and is observed 

 at a not very short distance. Therefore, my notices about these ani- 

 mals are to be taken with a little criticism. Yet I am convinced that 

 the seal most common in Inglefield Gulf next to the precedent one is 



4. Phoca barbata. We did not obtain any specimen of this big 

 and characteristic seal during our short sunmiertrip, but according to 

 Peary's party, the bearded seal or ,,oogsook" as the natives call it, 

 is not uncommon along the eastside of this part of Baffin Bay and 



