32 R. BROWN ON THE MAMMALS OF GREENLAND. 



spot of the form of a half-moon on each side of the body." This 

 description does not correspond to the meaning of the word, which 

 is " the Brown Seal." Hr. Fleischer thinks that it is only a myth, 

 as is — 



4. Kongestenak, which has, " according to the description given 

 by the natives, some resemblance to the Sea-ape described by 

 Mr. Heller."* This is one of the northern myths. The natives 

 say it is a Bear which is so covered with an ice-coat that it never 

 comes on land, but is always in the water, &c. These myths, 

 both in the pseudo-Mammalia and in other groups, are endless ; 

 but I have given enough to show that no dependence can be placed 

 on their idle superstitious tales. 



I may as well close these notes on supposititious or non-existent 

 animals by some remarks on other species, which though not Mam- 

 mals, yet come fairly under the headings I have given to this 

 section of my paper. The Great Auk (Alca impennis, Linn.) 

 once so common in Greenland, in the days of Egede, Cranz, and 

 Fabricius, as, indeed, it was in many other parts of the northern 

 portion of Europe and America, there can be little doubt is now 

 quite extinct in Greenland. I made every inquiry regarding it, 

 but could learn little or nothing about it. The natives about 

 Disco Bay do not now even recollect it by name, though when 

 the old Eskimo name of it (^Isarokitsoc) was mentioned they imme- 

 diately repeated it, and said, " Ah ! that means little wings ! " 

 Though the Royal Museum in Copenhagen has offered large re- 

 wards for a specimen, hitherto the efforts have been in vain. 

 One of the stories I was told at Godhavn, on Disco Island, if true, 

 would afford some hope of its yet being found : — Eight years ago 

 (1859), on one of the little islets just outside of the harbour, in 

 the winter time, a half-breed named Johannes Propert (a nephew, 

 by the way, of the well-known interpreter Carl Petersen) shot a 

 bird which he had never seen before, but which, from description, 

 could be no other than the Great Auk. He and his companions 

 ate it, and the dogs in his sledge got the refuse ; so that only one 

 feather could afterwards be found. I know the man well. He is 

 rather an intelligent fellow, and was not likely to destroy a bird of 

 such rarity that he had never seen it before, when he knew that it 

 would command a price from the Governor. Moreover Johannes 

 bears the reputation of telling wonderful tales now and then. He 

 says that he saw two, but that one escaped among the rocks. 

 Mr. Frederick Hansen, then Colonibestyrer (Governor) of God- 

 havn, has offered a reward for it, and is very sanguine that he 

 will yet obtain a specimen of the Geirfugl.^ 



Depending on the native stories of a jumping animal found in 

 the southern part of Greenland, on Grassy meadows, and called 



* I suppose Giesecke means Stellers account of the " Sea-ape," vide Pen- 

 nant, Quadr., ii. p. 301 (^Trichechwi hydropithecus, Shaw, ZooL, i. p. 247 ; 

 Manatus simia, lllig. ; M. ? hydropithecus, Fischer, &c.). 



t Swedish Garfogel, Norse and Icelandic Geirfugl and Goiful. It is also 

 called in Norse Stor-Ommer. 



