176 



The Musi Ox. 



The heavy coat of wool with whicli the musk-oxen arefrovlfled 

 is a perfect protection against any temperature. It consists of a 

 long fine black hair, and in some cases white (for it is not ascer- 

 tained that these oxen change their colour during the winter)* 

 with a beautiful fine wool or fur underneath, softer and richer than 

 the finest alpaca wool as well as much longer in the staple. This 

 iiianlle appears to touch the ground, and the little creatures look 

 like a bale of black wool, mounted on four short nervous goat-like 

 legs, with two very bright eyes, and a pair of sharp wicked-shaped 

 ho us peering out of one end of it. Captain M'Clintock, of H. M. 

 S. " Intrepid," gives the following dimensions of some oxen shot 

 by him in 1851, which are a very fair average, the animals seldom 

 exceeding the size of Shetland ponies. 



Measurements of Musk-Oxea. 

 Shot at Melville Island in 1851. 



From base of horns to root of tail. 



Width of the base of horns measur- 

 ed longitudinally 



Base of horns (including their 

 width) to the nose 



Hoof to tip of shoulder 



Hind hoof to top of rump 



Corner of mouth to eye 



Round of muzzle above the nostrils 



From one eye to the other 



Round of fore leg, just above the 

 hoof (fetlock?) 



Width of fore hoof 



Its circumference 



Width of hind hoof 



From tip to tip of horns 



Length of each horn 



Length of tail 



Bull. 



ft. in, 



1 2 



1 lOi 

 4 9 

 4 3 



10 



1 9 

 lit 



Bull. 



ft. in. 

 5 10^ 



lU 



4 Y 



10 



1 9 



ni 



4| 



1 H 



2 3J 

 2 



Cow. Cow 



ft.in. 



g^ OS a S 



ba\ 



g £ .a ,J2 .£2 



r< m a O ''-I 



o :^ 



m ", m 



o o 



+j n:3 



^ ^ m 



+2 



.a 



I % 



^ o 



S 



o 

 o 



a 



^ 





^ « 



o 



11 





.> <u 



^ 





■73 



OS 



^■B 



u 





OJ 



Oj r- 



!-, 





J3 



a h-< 



OS 



They seem to be of very uncertain temper, sometimes standing 

 stupidly glaring at their assailants, whetting their horns against 

 their fore legs ; and at other times our sportsmen had to be quick 

 in escaping from their ivccj. 



Of their activity when excited. Captain Mecham speaks in an- 

 other part of his diary, before quoted. 



" During our stay, I proceeded to the northward, overland to- 

 wards the head of Hardy Bay, Melville Island. The land rises to 

 an elevation of about 800 feet above the sea, and nearly all the 

 hills are of a remarkable table shape. Musk-oxen are here in very 



