34 



the musk-ox in East Greenland lived in former times in almost 

 the same places as now-a-days. How old the other craniums 

 are that were found during the later expeditions cannot be 

 decided; several of those I saw did not seem quite young. 



While 0. Fabricius was staying in Greenland, 1768 — 74, 

 a Greenlander brought him a fragment of the skull of a 

 musk-ox that together with some hoofs and knots of hair had 

 been found on the field ice «undoubtedly near Frederikshaab» 

 (Winge). Fabricius described it in Fauna Groenlandica (p. 28, 

 sp. 17) under the name of Bos grunniens. In his later work 

 «Om Drivis i Davids Strædet» (Vid. Selsk. Skrft. N. Sml. IH 

 p. 81) he mentions the remains again, and draws the piece 

 of the skull ; it was brought on the field ice round Cape Fare- 

 well, and he thinks that it originates from Asia, as the above 

 named species of oxen is found there. Not till later (Zoologiske 

 Bidrag p. 61, К. D. Vid. Selsk. Skrft. 3 R. 4 Bd.), he perceives that 

 his definition is not right, Pennant (Arctic Zoology p. 11) having 

 shown that the cranium must belong to the musk-ox, and he 

 grants. Pennant is right. Now he supposes that the ice, on 

 which the rests of the animal were found, originates from North 

 America, where at this time the musk-ox was known to live, 

 and that the ice has drifted down along the east coast of 

 Greenland round Cape Farewell. However, there is no doubt 

 at all that the found rests originate from the east coast of 

 Greenland, according to what is known now about the East 

 Greenland ice stream. The skull is still found in the Zoological 

 Museum in Copenhagen. Thus it is a fact that the musk-ox 

 lived in East Greenland in the end of the 18*^ century, certainly, 

 it cannot be seen from that, whether the musk-ox was found 

 then North or South of lat. 75° N. as Nathorst (1. с, p. 141 Anm.) 

 has observed. Still nothing is found at 76° n. I. that might 

 put a stop to the progression of the musk-ox, no large glaciers 

 or other natural bars, the country is the same on both sides; 

 if the musk-ox lived North, probably it also lived South of 



