R. BROWN ON THE MAMMALS OF GREENLAND. 15 



gave me the benefit of his experience. These notes I have in- 

 corporated in the body of this paper at the proper place. 



I have also examined, through the kindness of the curators, the 

 Greenland Mammals in the Copenhagen Museums, and those in 

 the Museum of Science and Art in Edinburgh, comprising many 

 of the typical specimens of Scoresby, Richardson, &c. For this 

 latter favour my thanks are especially due to Professors Archer 

 and Allman, and to the late Mr. J. B. Davies, then Zoological 

 Assistant in the Museum. 



1. Ursus Maritimus, Linn. 



Greenl. Nennok (o guttural). 



The well-known " Polar " or " Ice Bear " is found along the 

 whole coast of Greenland from north to south, but not nearly so 

 numerous as in former times, or as is popularly supposed. There 

 are more in the northern than in the southern portion of the 

 country ; and it is very seldom seen in mid-Greenland, i.e.y between 

 about 69° and 66° N. lat. There are yearly killed from thirty to 

 sixty of them. The Royal Board of Trade in Greenland give 

 the natives about five rigsdaler (ll*. 3c?.) for a skin. Occa- 

 sionally there are a number killed near Cape Farewell which 

 have come round on the Spitzbergen ice-stream. Here a curious 

 custom prevails, viz., that whosoever sights the Bear first, man, 

 woman, or child, is entitled to the skin, and the person who has 

 shot it only to the blubber and flesh.* It is of light creamy 

 colour, rarely pure white, except when young ; hence the Scotch 

 whalers call it the " brounie " or ^' brownie," and sometimes the 

 " farmer," from its very agricultural appearance as it stalks 

 leisurely over the furrowed fields of ice. Its principal food 

 consists of Seals, which it persecutes most indefatigably ; but it 

 is somewhat omniverous in its diet, and will often clear an islet 

 of Eider-duck eggs in i^the course of a few hours. I have seen 

 it watch a Seal for half a day, the Seal continually escaping just 

 as the Bear was about putting its paw on it, at the ^' atluk'^ (or 

 escape hole) in the ice. Finally, it tried to circumvent its prey 

 in another manner. It swam off" to a distance, and when the 

 Seal was again half asleep at its atluk, the Bear swam under the 

 ice, with a view to cut ofi" its retreat. It failed, however, and 

 the Seal finally escaped. The rage of the animal was boundless; 

 it roared hideously, tossing the snow in the air, and trotted off in 

 a most indignant state of mind ! 



During the sealing-season, both in Greenland and in the Spitz- 

 bergen seas, the Bear is a constant attendant on the sealer for 

 the sake of the carcasses^ in the pursuit of which it is sometimes 

 " more free than welcome." I have often also seen it feeding on 

 Whales of different species, Avhich are found floating dead. In 

 1861 I saw upwards of twenty all busily devouring the huge 

 inflated carcass of a Balcena 7iiijsticetu3 in Pond's Bay, on the 

 western shores of Davis's Strait. We were foolish enough to 



, * The flesh, and especially the liver, is said to often prove poisonous when 

 eaten. The Eskimo on the western shores of Davis's Strait carefully prohibit 

 their dogs from devouring any portion of it. 



