MAMMALIA. Q75 
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[81] 1. Ovizos moscuarvs. (Blainville.) Musk-Ox. 
‘Genus. Ovibos. BiLaINvILLE. 
Le beuf musqué. M. Jeremie, Voy.au Nord, t. iii. p. 314. CHartevorx, Nouv. France, t. v. p. 194. 
-Musk-Ox. Drace, Voy., vol.ii. p.260. Doxsss, Hudson's Bay, pp. 19, 25. Exuis, Voy., p. 232. PENNANT, 
Quadr., vol.i. p.31. Arctic Zool., vol.i.p.9. HEARNE, Journey, p.137. Panny, First Voy.,-p. 257, 
witha plate. Second Voy., pp. 497, 503,512. Bririsa Muszrum. Specimen on the stair. 
Bos moschatus. GMELIN, Syst. Sapine (Capr.), Parry's First Voy., Suppl., p. lxxxix. Sabine (Mr.), Frank 
lin’s Journ., p. 668. Ricuarpson, Parry’s Second Voy., Appendix, p. 331. 
Matheh-moostoos {ugly bison.)) Crer Inprans. 
Adgiddah-yawseh (little bison.) CurrEwyans and CoprEer Inp1ans. 
-Oomingmak, Esquimaux. 
- We are indebted for the first notice of this animal to M. Jeremie, who brought 
some of its wool to France, and had some stockings made of it, which were said 
to have been more beautiful than silk. The earlier English voyagers also give us 
some information respecting it, but Pennant has the merit of being the first who 
systematically arranged and described it, from the skin of a specimen sent home 
by Hearne, the celebrated traveller. From its want of a naked muzzle and some 
other peculiarities, M. Blainville has placed it in a genus, intermediate, as its 
name denotes, between the sheep and the ox; but it is remarkable amongst the 
American animals for never having had more than one specific appellation, whilst 
other animals, of much less interest, have been honoured with a long list of 
synonyms. 
The musk-ox inhabits the Barren-lands of America lying to the northward of 
the sixtieth parallel of latitude*. Hearne mentions that he once saw tracks of one 
within a few miles of Fort Churchill, in latitude 59°; and in his first journey to the 
north, he saw many in about latitude 61°. I have been informed that they do not 
now come so far to the southward even on the Hudson’s Bay shore; and further 
to the westward they are rarely seen in any numbers lower than latitude 67°, 
although from: portions of their sculls and horns, which are occasionally found 
near the northern borders of Great Slave Lake, it is probable that they ranged 
at no very distant period over the whole country lying betwixt that great sheet of 
water and the Polar sea. I have not heard of their having been seen on the 
banks of Mackenzie’s River to the southward of Great Bear Lake, nor do they 
* Pennant says, that they are found in the lands of the Cris or Cristinaux, and Assinibouls; this is, however, 2 
mistake. The lands he alludes to, are the plains which extend from the Red River of Lake Winipeg to the Saskat- 
chewan, and are inhabited by the Crees or Natheh-wye-withinyoo, and the Asseeneepools or Asseeneepoytuck ; but it 
is the bison that frequents that district, and not the musk-ox. He is correct, however, in saying that they are hunted 
by the Attimospiquay, who are the Dog-ribs of Great Bear Lake. 
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