58 
Zoology. 
The biggest one measured 8 feet 9 inches in length. The following 
day another was seen ; but we were unable to shoot it. In the floe-ice 
off Clarence Head, we succeeded in securing two polar-bears, and 
here, as well as at the entrance to Jones Sound, we observed several 
others. On our return, one old female and two cubs were shot from 
the vessel, not far from Cape York, on August 27th. In Inglefield 
Gulf the polar-bear is very rare ; no specimen was killed here during 
Peary’s two expeditions. According to former observations it seems 
to be most common among the vast pack-ice fields of Melville Bay, 
and on the western side of the “ northwater ” of Baffin Bay. It is 
difficult to understand why it should be so rare on the Greenland 
coast north of Cape York, and it is difficult to give a satisfactory ex- 
planation of this fact, the supply of seals being here as good, or, 
perhaps, better than on the coast of Ellesmere Land. Probably, the 
Eskimos, whose remains are still to be seen at so many places along 
the whole coast of Grinnell and Ellesmere Land from the 82d 
degree of latitude to Lancaster Sound, have abandoned their old 
“igloos” on this shore just because the seals are less numerous 
here than on the east side of Smith Sound. One might expect that 
the polar-bear, whose food is mainly the same as that of the 
natives, would follow their example and move eastward ; but such 
does not seem to be the case. 
3. Phoca hispida. — Although only one specimen was brought 
on board for examination, I have no doubt that this seal is the most 
common in Smith Sound and its northern continuation, and also 
that it is the most numerous species from Cape York to Cape Union, 
where it was observed during the Nares Expedition. Probably the 
seal called “pooshi” by the natives around Inglefield Gulf is iden- 
tical with this species. In regard to the seals, it was unfortunate 
that we could procure but comparatively few specimens, although 
numbers of them were shot. The reason being that they sink imme- 
diately in the water when struck severely or killed by the ball. Even 
if met with on the ice and wounded, they were generally quick 
enough to jump into one of their blow-holes and disappear. In most 
cases, I was thus compelled to base the determination of the seals on 
the description I received from the members of Peary’s Expedition, 
or from the Eskimos, as it was almost impossible to decide with any 
great degree of certainty to what species a seal head belonged which 
appeared for a few minutes above the water, and was observed at 
a considerable distance. 
Therefore, my notes in reference to these animals are open to some 
