Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 103 



anlmali, the danger of the hiintsinen, the shouts of warning, adviee, 

 or applause from their friends, the blood-stained water, and all the 

 accompanying circumstances, form a whole which no one can picture 

 to himself without having witnessed the scene. 



When the chase is over, and the spoils are distributed, the deer 

 which have been killed are sunk in the river, the ice-cold water of 

 which preserves them for several days, till there is time to prepare 

 them for winter use. For this purpose the flesh is either dried in 

 the air, smoked, or, if early frosts set in, frozen. The Russians 

 sometimes salt the best pieces ; the tongues are considered the 

 greatest delicacy, and are reserved for special occasions. 



Again, at page 203-4 of his Narrative, Admiral Wrangell gives 

 the following account : — 



The migratory rein-deer had not yet passed the river Aniuj at 

 this place. Their arrival was expected with the utmost anxiety, 

 for scarcity was already severely felt. It is not easy to imagine 

 the fearful excess which famine reaches among a people whose sup- 

 port depends on one precarious incident. It often happens that 

 many among them have to subsist during the latter part of summer 

 almost entirely on the skins which form their bedding and clothing ; 

 and if happily a single rein-deer is killed, it is immediately cut up, 

 divided among the whole tribe, and literally eaten, skin and all, the 

 hair being just singed off. The contents of the stomach, and even 

 the horns are used as food. Fish are not caught till later in the 

 year, and even then only in small numbers ; and few of the inha- 

 bitants venture to go off to the tundras in quest of game, for fear 

 of missing the passage of the rein-deer, on which their support so 

 essentially depends. 



On the 12th of September, the hungry people were filled with 

 joy by immense numbers of rein-deer approaching the right bank 

 of the river opposite to Lobasnoji. I never saw such a multitude 

 of these animals. At a distance their antlers resembled a moving 

 forest. Crowds of people flocked in on every side, and hope 

 beamed on every countenance as they arranged themselves in their 

 light boats to await the passage of the deer. But whether the 

 animals had seen and were terrified at the crowds of people, or 

 whatever the reason may have been, after a short pause, they turn- 

 ed, left the bank, and disappeared among the mountains. The 

 utter despair of the poor starving people was dreadful to witness. 

 It manifested itself among these rude children of nature under va- 

 rious forms. Some wept aloud and wrung their hands; some threw 

 themselves on the ground, and tore up the snow; others, and 

 amongst them the more aged, stood silent and motionless, gazing 

 with fixed and tearless eyes in the direction where their hopes had 



VOL. XXIX. NO. LYU. ^JULY 1840. N 



