Greenland Musk-Ox 327 



drastic method, but it died. It would be interesting to know how many 

 of these harmless animals were shot down by the Norwegian hunters 

 this summer to enable them to capture fourteen calves." 



In another letter by the same writer which appeared in the journal last 

 cited for 23rd February 1901, the following extracts from an account of 

 musk-ox shooting in East Greenland by a member of the Amdrup Danish 

 Scientific Expedition are given :• — 



" We set out towards evening, it being then cool for travelling, and 

 because we must sleep during the warmest time of the day, more especially 

 as we might encounter severe night cold on the mountains. With the 

 exception of a few hares, we saw no game whatever during the first day's, 

 or rather night's, march, but when going along a river's course we fell 

 in with the fresh spoor ot two wolves ; the animals themselves we 

 did not see. In the morning we halted, and with much trouble, and 

 with only damp heather for fuel, we cooked some food. About mid-day 

 we started again, and kept on the whole of the following night. Towards 

 morning I observed at a considerable distance a number of black spots. 

 ' Musk-oxen,' I said to my companion, and brought the glasses to bear 

 upon them. There were half a score, and they were some three kilo- 

 metres from us. These animals are so far from shy that once seen there is 

 little difficulty in killing them, and being very sharp set, we determined on 

 securing a specimen at once. We had hardly covered halt the distance 

 that intervened, however, when I observed a bull lying in a hollow ; it 

 was only a few hundred yards away, and would have been easy to kill, only 

 I wished to shoot one where there were both heather — that is to say, fuel 

 — and water in the immediate neighbourhood. Shortly I discovered there 

 were three bulls in the hollow ; they remained quite quiet while we 

 passed them, but when they got our wind they at once jumped up and 

 made slowly off down the valley. I imagine it was the scent ol the 

 dog which annoyed them, for although in stalking Arctic game it is 



