Fauna of Western E&kimaax-land. 3381 



ter is already apparent, and the ships have to enter the icy masses in 

 order to drag their prey from its last refuge ; but even there success 

 does not always attend their efforts. 



The black crow and the ptarmigan are the only birds that remain 

 in the Arctic regions throughout both the summer and winter seasons. 

 The crow is supposed by the natives to have been the maker of the 

 universe ; but this belief does not induce any veneration, on the 

 contrary, the bird was frequently pointed out as a fit mark to fire at. 

 The ptarmigans change their plumage every month, and approach 

 nearest to white in December; but after that time the tail, wings and 

 head gradually become black, until in June the feathers assume a 

 brownish red. In April the ptarmigans begin to pair, and during 

 that time they have a peculiar cry, sounding almost like our "go back,, 

 go back." 



As the month of May advances, and diffuses warmth around, flocks 

 of geese, gulls, divers, puffins, shags, and swans, quickly followed by 

 ducks, teal, and wigeon, spread themselves over the country. The 

 smaller birds, such as owls, snipes, plovers, curlews and sparrows, ap- 

 pear to spring from the ground, and their nests are soon to be found 

 in every direction. The number of birds is very great, as they are 

 seldom frightened, or, with the exception of the ptarmigan, snared by 

 the natives. 



Western Eskimaux-land, like the " Land of the West," is free from 

 every description of reptile, though St. Patrick has never visited it. 



Many varieties of fish abound in rivers. Salmon, so frequent in 

 Norton Sound, are not found to the northward of the Buckland ; they 

 appear however to be superseded by the mullet, which obtains a con- 

 siderable size. Herrings and whiting are caught in Hotham Inlet in 

 great quantities, and some of the smaller streams produce a few trout. 



An immnese number of shells, star-fish, crabs, shrimps, and Radi- 

 ata> occur in the Arctic sea; the beach also, in some places, is strewn 

 with mussels ; of land shells, only a single species seems to prevail. 



Insects are few in proportion to the rest of the Fauna. A species 

 of butterfly, a bee, two beetles of a black colour, a jumping spider, 

 and the mosquito, may be considered to comprise the whole ; the lat- 

 ter, however, makes up for the paucity of other insects. " In the tro- 

 pics," says Mr. B. Seemann,* " mosquitoes are often troublesome, but 

 in the worst mangrove-swamps I have never seen them so numerous 

 as in the northern regions : indeed, they tormented me so much, that 



f In Hooker's Journal. 



