IX.] ARCTIC SUB-REGION. 347 



by the American zoologists as specifically distinct from thecircum- 

 polar "barren-ground" variety) extend considerably further to the 

 south. For the most part of its extent, the mammals inhabiting 

 this sub-region are few in number, a large proportion of them 

 having a circumpolar range. Among them may be included the 

 Arctic fox, polar bear, wolverene, the ermine or stoat, the eastern 

 and western species of lemming (Myodes), the banded lemming 

 (Cuniculus torquatus), the Arctic vole (Microtus nitilus}, Parry's 

 suslik (Spermophilus empetra], the musk-ox, and the reindeer ; 

 several of these being restricted to the sub-region. The sea-otter 

 (Latax) frequents the shores of Alaska and Kamschatka, but also 

 ranges as far south as the Kurile Islands and California, so that it 

 is not confined to the sub-region. During the Plistocene epoch, 

 as we have seen, such animals as the mammoth, horse, bison, and 

 tiger were inhabitants of this tract ; the latter animal being still 

 found in eastern Siberia. Towards Amurland and the Kams- 

 chatkan peninsula, the fauna becomes somewhat less scanty ; the 

 large Kamschatkan sheep (Ovis nivicola) being here met with, as 

 well as a true deer, and the brown bear. 



Of other groups of animals inhabiting the more typical portions 

 of this region, there may be noticed among the birds the ptarmigan 

 (Lagopus], the snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca), the Greenland falcon 

 (Falco candicans), the eider-duck (Somatcria mollissima), as well as 

 various species of divers (Colymbus] and guillemots (Uria and 

 Lomvia}, together with the little auk (Mergulus alle\ Dr Heilprin 

 writes that " Captain Markham observed the footpiints of the 

 polar hare in the snow-bound ice in latitude 83 10', and the 

 antlers of a reindeer were picked up by the officers under Sir 

 George Nares, in latitude 82 45' (Grinnell Land). A skeleton of 

 the latter animal, recently picked by wolves, was also obtained in 

 latitude 80 27'. Traces of the rock-ptarmigan (Lagopus rupestris] 

 have been met with as far north as latitude 83 6', and the snow- 

 bunting (Pkctrophanes nivalis) in latitude 82 33'. The reptile- 

 fauna is very limited, no serpent, apparently, passing beyond the 

 sixty-seventh parallel of latitude, and no lizard above the seventieth. 

 The fishes, which include the common perch and pike, are mainly 

 salmonoids. Insects are fairly numerous, and even in the far 

 north the number of species is considerable." 



