324 



Mr. С. Kruuse, who stayed at Angmagsalik in 1901 — 02, 

 has on my request made the mussel object to observations. 

 As it may be of interest to obtain information regarding this 

 animal form here at the northern limit of its distribution 1 

 shall communicate the notes which Kruuse kindly sent me, 

 excluding some less essential details. 



"Mytilus edulis is not rare in the Angmagsalik district. 1 

 have taken it in several places in Tasiusak, at 65° 37' N., where 

 it however only occurs frequently in «Strømstedet» Kilitilik 

 (= the mussel-place) and does not pass the lenght of 5 cm. I 

 have moreover seen it in abundance in Tunok, in the littoral 

 belt in less numbers, but the specimens were large, of a length 

 of 6—8 cm. 



It is rather common at the bird-islands in Ikerasak, 

 Kangàrsik, Kingak Angmagsivik (66° N.), Ingmikertok, Ingmiker- 

 torajik, Ikerasausak, Kuarmiut, Tiningnekelakj Norait and Anova. 



in most of these localities only a few specimens of a length 

 not exceeding 5 cm. occurred, besides young ones; but in one 

 single place my native companion found at low water ca. 6 pints 

 of very large specimens (8 cm.). 



According to the Rev. Ryttel's statement it is very com- 

 mon in Ikerasausak along the whole coast of the sound. 



At all the natives' dwellings, houses as well as tent-places, 

 we find in the kitchenmiddens considerable heaps of shells 

 which almost entirely consist of Mytilus. The specimens are 

 most frequently exquisitely large, but now and then we also 

 find heaps of smaller specimens till quite young ones. 



The natives highly appreciate the mussel, they neglect no 

 opportunity to eat it in numbers, where they find it on their 

 summer journeys, they will even postpone their journeys for 

 days in order to use the low water time to empty some rocks. 



Studier over nordiske Mollusker, II; Vidensk. Medd. Naturh. Foren. 

 Kbhvn. 1902 (p. 40—41). Comp, also N. Knipowitsch, Ann. Musée 

 Zool. de I'Acad. Imp. des Sei. St. Pétersbourg, T. VIII, 1903, p. 133; 

 and the present treatise p. 300—303. 



