776 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
LIFE WITHIN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. 
The following extracts from the narative of Mr. Leigh Smith’s voyage to 
Franz Joseph Land last season (1880) show the abundance of animal and vegeta- 
ble life, as far north as it has been possible for vessels to reach in that direction: 
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May Island, Long. 53° 40’ E., Lat. 80° N., Aug. 14, 1880: 
Several walruses were seen on some ice to the eastward, and Mr. Leigh 
Smith, with Captain Lofley and the Doctor went in chase, while Mr Grant and 
the Shetlander, Peter, landed and climbed to the summit of the island, a height 
of some 200 feet. It proved to be a mass of basalt. The scene was desolate, 
but very grand. Below them lay the ship anchored to the floe, and far away in 
the distance the walrus boats could be seen. To the north was the coast of land 
to the west of McClintock Island, sinced named after Sir Joseph Hooker, envel- 
oped in mist, with loose ice floating through the intervening strait. It was 
calm, and all was still until the silence was broken by the ivory gulls (Pagophila 
eburnea) which Peter had disturbed on their nests. Seven of them were taken 
alive, of which one survives, and is now in the Zoological Gardens. They had 
built near the top of a low basaltic cliff, and the young ones were tilted out of 
their nest on the snow beneath. On this island there was a quantity of drift- 
wood, and one very large stem of a tree. During the day seventeen walruses 
were captured, and many more might easily have been taken. 
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Eira Harbor, 80° 4’ N. Lat., 48° 40’ E. Long., August 20, 1880. © 
In the morning of the 2oth three bears were seen on the shore, a motherand 
two cubs, slowly wandering about and sniffling the sand. An empty box had 
been left on shore, and they were seen walking round and examining it. They 
did not seem to take any notice of the ship. The plan of attack was soon arran- 
ged. Two boats were lowered, one remaining to the left of the bears a little off 
shore, while the other rowed away to land the attacking party at some distance. 
After landing, the assailants walked towards the bears, and, as their backs were 
turned, they easily got pretty close. As soon, however, as they saw their ene- 
mies, all three bears made a rush to the water. This sealed their fate. They 
were doomed, the mother to death, and her two children to an aimless life of. 
inactivity at the Zoological Gardens. The two boats closed in; a shot through 
the head ended the life of the mother and saved her from witnessing the de- 
grading spectacle which followed. The men made quick work of the affair, 
The boats closed in with the young bears between them, and in very short time 
each boat had a bear to tow it back to the ship. 
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Lat. 80° N., Long. 52° E,, Aug. a1. 
In returning, an attempt was made to secure a young walrus alive. But the 
mother fought frantically, and guarded her offspring with such resolution that 
they were obliged to kill her, when the young one immediately decamped. Di- 
