The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 55 



musk-ox mountains, I had hitherto only found traces of an adult 

 wolf walking alone, was the only reason for my immediate doubt. 



According to the observations which I had the opportunity of 

 making later in the autumn 1906, it seemed evident that the coun- 

 try west and north of Hvalrosodden, especially the mountains round 

 Sælsøen and Mørkefjorden, were inhabited by some more single 

 wolves, the traces of which were often to be found along water 

 courses and lakes farther out on "Hvalsletten" towards the east, 

 but always returning to the above named groups of mountains, 

 where probably also a few smaller herds of musk-oxen had their 

 place of refuge. Moreover the traces of these animals were fre- 

 quently found in the lower territory. 



It was therefore a great surprise to me that a hunting expedi- 

 tion, in which I joined myself, going to Hvalrosodden in the first 

 half of March, did not meet with a single trace neither of wolves 

 nor of musk-oxen, in spite of eager searching and good opportuni- 

 ties for finding the tracks. Thus the presence of the animals in 

 this and the nearest preceding time must have been bound to the 

 regions more difficult of access for human beings, in the heart of 

 the country and high up in the mountains. 



On May 28'h 1907 I again visited the tract near Hvalrosodden, 

 and this time I found in many places fresh foot-prints of wolves in 

 the lowland, thus along the shores of Gaasesøen, Lakseelven and 

 in the deep ravines north of this river, always belonging to singly 

 walking animals, perhaps to one specimen everywhere. By the tent 

 which stood in the immediate neighbourhood of the beach, and 

 outside of which some shot polar hares were lying, I found in the 

 morning quite fresh traces of a wolf on the snow. Yet the wolf 

 which had been walking across the plains in the direction from 

 Sælsøen, had not ventured quite close to the tent, but at a distance 

 of about 200 meters he had turned round and made his way back 

 to the lake. 



On August 4'h 1907 I found on the sandy beach between Sne- 

 næs and Hvalrosodden fresh traces of an adult wolf. When on the 

 following day I arrived at Hvalrosodden, where ample remains of 

 some walrusses which had been killed the year before, were still 

 lying, I found here plenty of fresh traces of wolves, partly near the 

 carcasses and partly in the neighbouring hollows and in the sandy 

 or clayey glens and river beds. 



The animal or animals — judging from the different size of the 

 foot-prints two wolves had been in company — had always chosen 

 the same route to and from the carcass, and it was evident that 



