EXPLORATIONS IN GREENLAND. 453 



Eskimo dog, and good points were ascertained. While dissecting one 

 of these animals I had the misfortune to cut a finger slightly, and the 

 virus (°?) together with a frost-bite made me a crii)ple for two months, 

 and came very near costing me the loss of my arm ; this occurring in 

 my busiest season, I lostmany specimens. Eskimo women were instructed 

 to skin and clean birds and mammals, which they soon learned to do very 

 nicely, invai iably removing the fat with the teeth. The greatest cold was 

 in January — 52o.5. From the 27th of February to March 18 the tempe- 

 rature did not rise above 35°. The heaviest snow-fall was in June. Dur- 

 ing the latter part of June the winds were southerly, driving the ice in a 

 comi)act mass towards the head of the gulf so that it was nearly impossible 

 to make any excursions away from the ship. No birds except Gorvus co- 

 rax, FaJco candicans, and two species of Lagopus remain during the 

 winter. The first birds to return are Lorus glaucus, often long before 

 there is any open water ; they cruise up the ice-covered fjords and feed 

 on the young of Phoca fcetida. As soon as the snow begins to melt 

 Flectrophanes nivalis greets one with a very pretty song. Eiders, Som- 

 ateria moIUsslmaj nested by thousands on the rocky islets around our 

 winter harbor, and the eggs were a very welcome addition to our rations. 

 Some rare eggs were procured, among them Tringa suharqiiata, Stereo- 

 rarivs ])omatorhimis, and parasiticus Raliastus albiciUa. 



Some Pacific species were added to the fauna of the Atlantic seaboard, 

 and some birds of N. temperate North A. were found breeding to 08° 30' 

 N. Specimens were procured of PagopJiila churnea, Bnphagus sJaia Larus 

 glaucescens, and leucopterus, &c. The fauna seemed to be nearly identical 

 with that of north Baffln's Bay. Only forty-two species of birds were 

 met with in Cumberland Sound, and of these four at least were stragglers. 

 Interesting notes were procured on rare or little-known Arctic water- 

 birds. 



Some fossils were procured from Lake Kennedy and some interesting 

 minerals. We left much too early to secure a fair representation of the 

 flora of the district, poor as it is. The same species were collected on 

 the Greenland coast in 70° 30', much more luxuriant. The algoe could 

 not be collected in the sjiriug on account of the ice around the shores.. 

 They were abundant both in species and numbers, some of them remark- 

 ably large. 



Some interesting notes on the habits, legends, &c., of the Eskimo were- 

 secured with drawings ; also a good number of Eskimo drawings, which: 

 are very interesting. 



Eskimo implements few, but still some very valuable forms were 

 found. Great difficulty was experienced in getting the Eskimo to part 

 with implements in use; even a considerable reward would not induce 

 them to part with some things. The vicinity of Annanatook (our win- 

 ter harbor) was a most remarkably barren place, bare granitic islands 

 with steep bluff shores offering no place to collect marine life even at 

 low tide. Notes of value were obtained on the distribution of mammals 



