THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 333 



We saw no ptarmigan although two years later one flock was ob- 

 served in the same island. And we saw no Hutchins geese but 

 found their feathers here and there, and later observations showed 

 that they nest both here and farther north. Of seals we saw about 

 a dozen per day. Most of these, however, were seen only through 

 the field glasses and a party traveling along the coast might easily 

 fail to see any for several days at a time if no pains were taken 

 to look for them. 



We saw no hares nor do I remember seeing any traces of them 

 later. Foxes did not appear to be numerous as compared, for in- 

 stance, with Banks Island. Polar bears while not absent are evi- 

 dently exceedingly rare. On all our visits to this neighborhood in 

 succeeding years we never saw a bear, but in 1916 we found in the 

 frozen mud near the west coast the tracks of a bear that had been 

 there the previous summer. Only two wolves were actually seen 

 on this first visit but their traces were numerous, as had to be 

 the case where caribou were so plentiful. 



There has been much talk about the wisdom of foxes. In 

 ancient fables and modern nature-faking alike they are invariably 

 wise. Possibly the southern fox is by nature more intelligent than 

 his arctic cousin or it may be that experience has taught him more 

 through a dangerous environment. But the verdict must be 

 that in the North foxes are stupid, or trustful if you prefer that 

 point of view. A fox that sees you is very likely to come up to 

 examine you more closely. If he finds your trail he may follow 

 it till he catches up and if he is a young fox he may run ahead and 

 in circles around you for miles, barking like a toy dog at a pedes- 

 trian. It is remarkable that they should be so foolish for they are 

 continually when on land in danger from the wolves that snap 

 them up as an appetizer before breakfast. 



It would seem reasonable that wolves would not be afraid of 

 any living thing they find, for in reality their only danger arises 

 from failure to find something. They can run faster than all 

 animals that are more powerful, and they are more powerful than 

 any animal that can run faster. This would make it probable that 

 a wolf would come running up frankly to any animal he sees, for 

 he has a right to conclude that if the animal is dangerous he will 

 be able to avoid it easily. My experience with the northern wolf 

 is that this is just what he does not do. 



The first day of our travel along the new land I was walking 

 across the foot of a bay, while the sledges several miles outside 

 were following a course touching only the capes and points of the 



