l()(j Ohlin, Zoological observations during- Peary Auxiliary Expedition 1894. 



big 1 Laminaria and Ftwus, and I obtained here, in five fathoms water, 

 Mya and Glyptonotus in considerable quantities. According- to what 

 Peary's companions told me, the walrus or ,,avook" (Esk.) is very 

 abundant on some favourable places in Inglefield Gulf, where it finds 

 a rich supply ot food in the shallow water. The winterfood of the 

 Eskimo-dogs is, mainly, walrusmeat with which Peary's stock of dog-s 

 was provisioned by the natives. 



8. Li'ini* fjladfdls. - - The polar hare is besides the lemming- the 

 terrestrial mammal which g-oes farthest north, its traces having- been 

 observed by Lock wood duriug Greely's expedition in hit. 83 24' N. 

 It was found by us at many places, e. g. on the south coast of Elles- 

 rnere Land at a cape opposite Smith Island, where we landed Au- 

 gust 10, and on Northumberland Island, where five individuals were 

 shot. In some valleys around Inglefield Gulf its tracks were seen. 

 The killed specimens were all quite white except the tips of the ears, 

 which had a black stripe about one inch long, and the underside of 

 the feet, the hairs of which had turned reddish -brown through 

 rubbing. 



9. Rangifc-r tarandu*. The reindeer is very common in the 

 valleys and high-plataux around Ing-lefield Gulf and a sure proof of 

 this is the fact that no less than 200 odd were killed last year by 

 Peary's party, the expedition thus being supplied during- the whole 

 winter with fresh meat. Before leaving- Bowdoiu Bay we visited some 

 places in the inner half of Ing-lefield Gulf for reindeer-hunting-; unfor- 

 tunately we got only four or five. Its best feeding-places are valleys 

 and the slopes of the mountains, which it ascends 1000 feet or more. 

 I learned from Peary's companions that they had killed reindeers 

 on small ,,noonataks" situated some miles from the border of the in- 

 landice, this animal non hesitating to cross g-laciers. 



10. Ovibos moschatu*. Although we did not meet with any of 

 these interesting mammals I put the musk-oxen on this list seeing that 

 several bones of it have been picked up by members of Peary's 

 party in the neighbourhood of Inglefield Gulf. As is well known, its 

 geographical distribution is highly interesting: I do not think it is 

 necessary to enter fully on this matter here. For further information 

 I refer to Nares' and Greely's expeditions. I only want to say 

 that, in regard to the present range of the musk-ox, we are still before 

 a problem not solved. Its occurrence on the eastcoast of Greenland 

 first discovered by the German expedition and, recently, stated ag-aiu 

 by the Danes is not strange at all now since Peary's and Astrup's 

 sledge -journey in 1892 to Independence Bay in lat. 81 37' N. and 

 long. 34 5' W. , where they observed about twenty, some of which 

 were killed. Thus, the way the musk-ox has taken to reach East 

 Greenland, is fully clear: from Grinell Land across Kennedy or Hobeson 



