On proceeding to institute a comparison between the 

 eastern and the western dialects in regard to the designation 

 of certain objects, the first general difficulty might be expected 

 from the relative poorness of the western vocabularies, while for 

 Greenland and Labrador we possess regular dictionaries. But 

 as to the said new words the western vocabularies nevertheless 

 proved to be tolerably well provided. It will be seen that with 

 a few exceptions all the principal objects here in question are 

 represented in them. Another difficulty might seem to arise in 

 trying to discern between what had to be considered new, and 

 what had been known to the natives from their life in an earlier 

 home in more southern regions. Certain well known birds, for 

 instance are very characteristic of the polar sea , but may have 

 been known from far-off lakes too , visited by them at certain 

 seasons, and it is doubtful whether the invention of the Eskimo 

 dog sledge is due to a period after their settling on the northern 

 shores or before. But on the other hand it may be with safety 

 asserted , that the emigrants from the south can not have be- 

 come acquainted with the walrus and the polar bear before 

 reaching the arctic sea. However in giving a list of such de- 

 cidedly arctic objects there is no sufficient reason for omitting 

 others of a similar kind, if even some doubt may be raised 

 about their origin. At any rate it must be left to the reader, 

 as to how they finally have to be ranged. 



THE NAMES OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARCTIC 

 ANIMALS. After these previous remarks we will turn to the 

 appended vocabulary and select the words in question, arranging 

 them conformably to their importance for our proposed research. 

 The first class of course comprises the arctic mammiferous 

 animals, the seals, whales and the polar bear. The vocabulary 

 shows, that the following animals and objects relating to them 

 have identical names in the east and the west: 1. THE SPOTTED 

 SEAL. — 2. THE FIORD SEAL. — 3. THE BEARDED SEAL. — 



