8oo 



THE UNGULATES, OR HOOFED MAMMALS 



beck, who is one of the few explorers who have seen it in its wild state. It was met 

 with by his party in Grinnell L,and in March when the snow is deepest and the tem- 

 perature lowest, and it inhabits that country and North Greenland throughout the 

 year. ' ' The musk oxen travel in herds, and it is but an exception when one of 

 them is found alone. This herding gives them a better chance to defend themselves 

 against their one enemy, the Arctic wolf, and also gives them through close contact, 

 additional warmth and protection against cold and winds." 



Occasionally, we are also informed by Mr. Biederbeck, the Eskimo 



undertakes an expedition into the interior for the purpose of hunting 



the musk ox for the sake of its warm pelage, which is used either for their own 



bedding, or as an article of barter. The animals are hunted by means of dogs, each 



AT BAY. 



hunter taking two or three of these animals with their sledge traces attached, and 

 thus allowing himself to be pulled along till within a short distance of the quarry. 

 The difficulty is then to slip the dogs at the right moment without allowing their 

 traces to drag behind them, and thus be liable to be trodden on by the bayed musk 

 oxen; but clever hunters obviate this by tying the traces in a bundle on the backs 

 of the dogs just before they are slipped. When bayed and surrounded, the members 

 of the herd are shot down by the score, the great object being to kill each animal 

 outright, as otherwise there is great danger of its struggles inducing a stampede 

 among the herd, which would involve another hunt. Sometimes, however, the 

 herd, even after having made a bolt, will return to the spot where their comrades 

 have fallen. When scenting danger the musk oxen, says Mr. Biederbeck, "always 



