in. 



ANIMAL LIFE IN KING OSCAR LAND, AND THE 

 NEIGHBOURING TRACTS. 



BY E. BAY. 



As soon as land is approached the first representatives of higher animal 

 life are met with. These are the walruses and the different kinds of 

 seal, which are to be seen sometimes lying on the drifting floes, some- 

 times thrusting up their heads from the water. The former often lie in 

 most imposing heaps perfect ' meatbergs ' and are mines of wealth 

 as food for the dogs during the winter. The seals are to be met 

 with lying on the ice as early as the month of March. There are several 

 species of them, of which, however, two are far more common than 

 the other kinds. These are the bearded seal (Phoca barbatci) and the 

 ringed seal (Ph. fcefida) ; they are generally to be seen lying on the 

 unbroken ice during the spring and early summer. When the ice 

 breaks up, the saddle-back or harp seal (Ph. greenlandicci) is occasionally 

 met with, although the badder-nose (Cystophera cristata) and the 

 common seal (Ph. vititU/ut) are more general in these waters. 



The Greenland whale (Balc&na mysticetus) has long been extermi- 

 nated in Hayes Sound, Jones Sound, and the adjoining sounds and 

 fjords ; but numerous bones near the old Eskimo houses tell that it 

 flourished here before the whalers found their way through the ice and 

 brought death and destruction with them. Now only two much smaller 

 kinds of whale are to be seen, the narwhal (Monodon monoceros) and 

 the white whale (Beluga leucas), which often appear in considerable 

 numbers. Once or twice in particular large schools were seen of the 

 latter handsome species. 



Careful scanning and a little good luck will generally bring to view 

 the sovereign of the ice, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), in his own 

 high person. With long firm steps he saunters along over the white 

 covering of the sea, winding meanwhile to discover his prey or a 

 possible danger. The bear is no longer so courageous as it used to be 

 in days gone by. Long-range breech-loaders have inspired it with 



477 



