7i24 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 174S. 



sort of whales, their length from 50 to 70 feet. The white-fish are likewise in 

 these seas, like a whale, but without fins on the back. There is likewise a 

 small whale produced here called butts-kops ; as also unicorns of the whale 

 kind, which they call narval. The niser, or porpoise, is also in these seas ; as 

 also the walross, shaped like a seal, but much larger ; his flesh is like fat pork ; 

 his irreconcible enemy is the white bear. There are several sizes of seals, but 

 of the same shape, except the Klap-myss, which has a cartilaginous hood, that 

 covers his eyes. There are other fish, as sharks, holly-butts, red-fish, trout 

 salmon, bull-heads, stone biters, smelts, whitings, herrings, and a fish like a 

 bream, with pricks on its whole body. There are mussels, and some large 

 ones that produce the pearl : here also are shrimps, crabs, &c. 



Among the sea-birds, are the edder ducks, of three kinds ; as likewise the 

 alker, and the tornauviarsuk, which has beautiful feathers, and the size of a 

 lark. There are also geese here. Greenland produces maws, redshanks, cor- 

 morants, lunders, parrots, sharvers, tersters, angle-tasters, snipes, &c. 



The employments of the Greenlanders, on shore, are to shoot rain-deer • 

 and at sea to catch whales, seals, birds, &c. Their bow is about 6 feet long, 

 of tough fir, which they bind round with deer sinews : the arrow is pointed 

 with iron or bone. All the sort of fish they catch, and cannot eat fresh, they 

 dry against winter. 



The boats are of two sorts ; one used only by the men, about three fathoms 

 in length, their breadth about 19 inches, with a hole in the middle, not larger 

 than one man, close-laced, can thrust himself into : with these boats they are 

 able to row 72 miles a day, using only one oar. 



Their houses are of 1 sorts, winter and summer: the former are made of 

 turf and stone, from 4 to 6 feet high, flat roofed; on one side are the windows, 

 made of bleeched seal-guts, holly-butt maws, sewed together, and are suffici- 

 ently transparent; their doors are very low, by which they creep in on their 

 hands and knees. Their summer-houses are made by raising poles, which they 

 cover with young seal-skins. 



Their language has no affinity with any known European one ; few words are 

 like the old Norwegian. It is difficult of pronunciation, as most of their words 

 are gutturals. It wants the letters c, d, f, g, x. 



Some Observations on a Polype Dried. By Mr. Henry Baker, F. R. S. 



N°471, p. 616. 



Mr. Baker apprehending that if a polype could be dried, and well extended 

 before the microscope, some particulars in its structure might be distinguished 

 better than when it is viewed alive, and in water, he applied himself to attempt 



