The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 



89 



I 



with fine, withered grass. — On their journey to the south to lat. 

 80°V2'n. Wegener and Thostrup found along the beach numerous 

 foot-prints and other signs of the presence of the musk-ox in this 

 part of the country. 



In Peary Land on Herlufsholms Strand — lat. 82°50'n. Koch 

 and Bertelsen met with 4 old cows in a party, on May 7*^ 1907. 

 Two of the cows were followed by very young calves, and when 

 the animals were killed, it was proved that each of the other cows 



Fig. 23. Young musk-ox calf. 



contained a fully developed foetus of the size of a newborn calf. 

 The stomachs of the cows were filled with short, withered grass. 



At a distance of a few hundered meters from the shot cows, 

 the travellers saw on the following day another herd of 11 animals: 

 two old bulls, three cows leading their young calves, two heifers and 

 a young bull. The animals were all killed. Even in this case the 

 stomachs contained nothing but grass. 



The length of the four newborn calves — measured from the 

 muzzle to the anal opening — Avas 83, 85, 87 and 93 cm. On ac- 

 count of the extremely difficult travelling conditions, the partakers 

 in the expedition must restrict themselves to take only the skin of 

 one calf out of this interesting material. (This skin is to be found 

 in the museum of Copenhagen.) 



