24 G. Holm. 



in the winter, they are very fat, but they then retire to dens 

 where they remain for a month, and leave them in a very lean con- 

 dition. The bears, however, go out a few times to catch seal 

 during the period they are in their dens. These dens are made in 

 the snow up on land, and are 20 to 40 feet long, so that the bears 

 have room to pace up and down in them. The he-bear's den lies 

 near the shore, while the she-bear has her den further up on land. 

 Here are born cubs no bigger than puppies a month old, and they 

 remain with the mother till they are fully grown. When the 

 mother is pursued, and she has her cubs with her, she carries them 

 in her mouth. 



White and blue foxes are found in large numbers. The white 

 are most valued, their skins being used for caps. The blue skins 

 are used mostly for frocks. 



On the northerly stretch of coast, at Kialinek, it is said that 

 the animals most hunted are narwhals and bears, which here are 

 found the whole year round. 



At one time Angmagsalik could boast of musk-oxen, called in 

 the native language pangnek^), reindeer, and hares, which latter have 

 the same names as on the West coast; but these animals have now 

 been exterminated. A musk-ox was some years ago found in the 

 sea at Sermiligak drifting among the ice. At Sermilik a long-haired 

 white reindeer was found in the sea. Mention is also made of an 

 animal which is known as parpaligamik uniakagtagdlik. It is de- 

 scribed as an extremely dangerous animal, whose weapon is a tail 

 of iron (see Tales Nos. 38 and 39) ^). Some persons speak of having 

 seen a fabulous-looking animal, resembling a fox, but of a reddish 

 colour and able to fly. It is called avangiarsik^). 



Not many birds or fish are caught at Angmagsalik. There are 

 plenty of ptarmigan and ravens, and the ptarmigan in winter often 

 come in flocks down to the inhabited places. As to large land 

 birds, eagles and owls are rare, whereas hawks are pretty common. 



Among sea-fowl the following may be mentioned: eider-ducks, 

 wild geese, gulls, auks, ducks, loons, black guillemots, and 

 sometimes also swans. 



The grandfather of a now living man caught an isarukitek 

 (great auk — Alca impennis) which was related to have been a huge 



') On the West coast it is called umingmak; pangnek denoting a full-grown 

 reindeer buck (Greenlandic Dictionary Ьл' Kleinsclimidt p. 272 and 395 j. 



*) "Legends and Tales from Angmagsalik". Fart V in this volume. 



^) Rink informs us in "Eskimoiske Dialekter" p. 21 that the name of the squirrel 

 is known to the Greenlanders. In the same place avingak is translated: 

 "lemming, mouse or rat", whereas Kleinsclimidt translates it: "mole" (Green- 

 landic Dictionary p. ().'5). lioas: The Cenlral Kskimo, p. (ill : acinf/a/c "lemming". 



