ARCTIC ZOOLOGY 135 



is not, at a great distance, mucli difference between the 

 D. leucas and the monodon, their movements being much 

 aUke. 



Having laid before tlie reader this short and faitliful ac- 

 count of the mammalious animals, I shall proceed to 

 enumerate the various birds that came actually under my 

 observation, and will brietly detail such of their habits as 

 I had an opportunity of noticing myself, or of collecting 

 from the accounts of persons, who, from many years' ex- 

 perience, have been eye-witnesses of those habits. 



Corviis Corax (the raven) is not common in the arctic 

 regions, though observed in very high latitudes. Seldom 

 seen in pairs, this bird leads a solitary life, alternately fre- 

 quenting the ice in the early part of the day, and returning 

 to its rocky retreats in the afternoon. One remarkable cir- 

 cumstance regarding this bird, in Greenland, is the peculiarity 

 of note which it utters when perched upon its craggy seat, 

 — not that deep, hoarse, croaking that announces its 

 ominous presence in Europe, but a shrill and rather 

 pleasing, soft, short note, greatly resembhng the barking 

 of a dog, or such as the fox is heard to utter when in chase 

 of his prey. On first hearing this note, I was much 

 surprised, supposing it to come from the arctic fox, or 

 other such quadruped ; but the sudden presence of the 

 raven descending from the lofty brow of Disko, and 

 uttering this singular cry, put the circumstance beyond 



