238 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 74 



Renal Calculi 



One kidney of an adult female taken at Gambell contained two large (6 mm), 

 irregular, tan-colored calculi (stones) in its pelvis. Analysis of one of the stones by 

 infra-red scanner (Reference Laboratory, Newbury Park, California) disclosed 

 that it was composed principally of carbonate-apatite (90%) and calcium 

 oxalate monohydrate (10%) (R. A. Dieterich, personal communication). 



Congenital Deformity 



A case of anomalous tridactyly of the forelimbs in a calf taken at Savoonga, St. 

 Lawrence Island, was reported by Marks and Burns (1966). An X-ray plate of 

 the right forelimb showed underdevelopment of metacarpals, carpals, and 

 phalanges, as well as unusual attenuation and folding of the soft tissues. The left 

 limb appeared more normal, except that it had only three digits. The authors 

 speculated that such deformity would have led to early death of the animal, 

 which was extremely thin and weak. 



Frostbite 



In the far northern localities where walruses occur in winter, animals sleeping 

 on the ice occasionally may lose access to the sea when the lead through which 

 they had emerged is closed by movement of the ice or perhaps by rapid re- 

 freezing. Individuals presumed to have been beset by such circumstances have 

 been seen to progress over ice and land, apparently in search of open water 

 (Freuchen 1935; Murie 1936; Perfil'ev 1970). Freuchen and Salomonsen 

 (1958:53) remarked that, "these wandering walruses certainly have a difficult 

 time. We have encountered cows which had a little cub along — both of them 

 frostbitten on the front of the flippers and the mother without a quarter inch of 

 blubber." Frostbite probably does not occur otherwise, for it ordinarily would be 

 prevented by re-entering or remaining in the water. 



Entrapment in Heav\^ Ice 



The Eskimos of Savoonga often have reported to me that individuals and small 

 herds frequently become entrapped in areas of stable, heav\' ice north of St. 

 Lawrence Island in winter. They stated that the animals generally maintained 

 one or two breathing holes but appeared to be greatly restricted in their feeding 

 range because they were obliged to remain in the vicinity of those holes for long 

 periods — sometimes several weeks or months. Some of those animals became 

 extremely emaciated, presumably because they had exhausted the food supply 

 within range of the holes. Conceivably, some entrapped animals may die from 

 starvation under such conditions. 



Physical Exhaustion 



Physical exhaustion may be a common debilitating factor during the autumn 

 migration, for the animals swimming southward in the open sea, ahead of the 

 advancing ice, often are disadvantaged by severe southerly storms with heavy 

 seas. Often, they must swim hundreds of kilometers against the seas before 

 making a landfall, whereupon they come ashore in droves, usually on traditional 

 hauling grounds (Gol'tsev 1968, 1972). At St. Lawrence and the Punuk Islands in 



