Scientific work on the First Thule Expedition 1912. 401 



24th May. Two more hares as before. Salix arctica is more abun- 

 dant here than in the moraine country (Sjællandssletten). 



26th May. Shot two hares at the mouth of the Zigzag valley, where 

 it runs down into Danmarks Fjord. 



On the 27th May we were lying up in a snow hut out on Danmarks 

 Fjord. A hare came running out over the ice, evidently intending to 

 cross the fjord. The dogs sighted it, and set off in chase, whereupon it 

 swerved out so as to pass clear of the canlp, and then resumed its ori- 

 ginal direction. In the outer part of Danmarks Fjord and the whole 

 of Mylius Erichsens Land we saw no hares, nor any traces of same. The 

 flat clay country is probably not to their liking. 



5th June. Reached Peary land. Shot one hare and saw several 

 others. They are now beginning to shed their coats. 



6th June. Made a long excursion up into Peary Land (see notes 

 on musk ox). Saw a single hare, very shy. 



7th June. Saw several more hares, which took to flight at long 

 range. Farther up in Independence Fjord they are more common. Saw 

 several every day, for the most part singly, or in small numbers at a 

 time. 



14th June. Shot two hares together at Cape Knud Rasmussen: 

 the uterus of the one contained seven fully-developed young. 



Shot a number of hares at Cape Schmelck, all singly. 



20th June. Made a reconnaissance to Bierings Land and shot three 

 hares which were feeding together. All three females, with milk, the 

 latter fairly plentiful and pleasant to the taste. The young we could 

 not see. 



Some hares appear to be much tamer than others ; at Cape Schmelck 

 for instance, one came quite close up to me (about 3 metres away) while 

 others found at the same place took to flight at long range. 



27th June. Shot a couple of hares, at Vardebakken, both males. 



In Adam Bierings Land hares are everywhere abundant. On the 

 southern slopes of the hills, in the middle of the day, they are always 

 to be seen round about. 



On the 28th of June, as we were lying beside our camp fire at Nye- 

 boes Bræ, a hare passed close by, with 4 young, (I am not quite sure 

 of the number, as they dodge about so among the rocks; there may 

 have been 5, or possible only 3) I tried to catch one of the young ones 

 which crouched down until I almost touched it. Then followed a chase 

 of ten minutes, during which it repeatedly checked and crouched, so 

 that I dashed past it before I could stop. At the end of that time it 

 became exhausted, and jumped down among some rocks, where I finally 

 caught it. It was of the same colour as a Danish hare, but hardly half 

 the size of a full-gro\\Ti specimen. The stomach contained curdled milk 

 and some few stalks of grass. 



On the 29th June, in Valmuedalen, we saw a flock of 10 hares at 



