276 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



come to the southwestern end of that lake, although they exist in numbers on its 

 north-eastern arm. They range over the islands which lie to the north of the 

 American continent as far as Melville island, in latitude 75°, but they do not, like 

 the rein-deer, extend to Greenland, Spitzbergen, or Lapland. From Indian 

 information, we learn that to the westward of the Rocky Mountains, which skirt 

 the Mackenzie, there is an extensive tract of barren country, which is also 

 inhabited by the musk-ox and rein-deer. It is to the Russian traders that we 

 must look for information on this head ; but it is probable that, owing to the 

 greater mildness of the climate to the westward of the Rocky Mountains, the 

 musk-ox, which affects a cold barren district, where grass is replaced by lichens, 

 does not range so far to the southward on the Pacific coast as it does on the 

 shores of Hudson's Bay. It is not known in New Caledonia, nor on the banks of 

 the Columbia, nor is it found on the Rocky Mountain ridge at the usual crossing- 

 places near the sources of the Peace, Elk, and Saskatchewan rivers. It is, 

 therefore, fair to conclude that the animal described by Fathers Marco de Niga 

 and Gomara, as an inhabitant of New Mexico, and which Pennant refers to the 

 musk-ox, is of a different species*. The musk-ox has not crossed over to the 

 Asiatic shore, and does not exist in Siberia, although fossil sculls have been 

 found there of a species nearly allied, which has been enumerated in the systematic 

 works under the name of Ovibos Pallantis. The appearance of musk-oxen on 

 Melville Island, in the month of May, as ascertained on Captain Parry's first 

 voyage, is interesting, not merely as a part of their natural history, but as giving 

 us reason to infer that a chain of islands lies between Melville Island and Cape 

 Lyon, or that Wollaston and Banks' Lands form one large island, over which 

 the migrations of the animals must have been performed. 



The districts inhabited by the musk-ox are the proper lands of the Esquimauxf ; 

 and neither the Northern Indians nor the Crees have an original name for it, both 

 terming it bison, with an additional epithet. The country frequented by the 

 musk-ox is mostly rocky and destitute of wood, except on the banks of the larger 

 rivers, which are generally more or less thickly clothed with spruce trees. Their 

 food is similar to that of the Caribou, grass at one season and lichens at another ; 

 and the contents of its paunch are eaten by the natives with the same relish that 

 they devour the " nerrooks " of the caribou. The dung of the musk-ox takes 

 the form of round pellets, differing from those of the caribou only in their greater 



* The Mexican animal is said to be a sheep, as large as a horse, with long hair, short tails, and enormous horns. 

 The only horse which the musk-ox can be said to resemble in size, is a Shetland pony, 

 t The northern Indian appellation for an Esquimaux, is " Inhabitant of the Barren Land." 



