35 
common on the tundra southwest of the mouth of Amadjuak river, Net- 
tilling lake. Along the route south to Amadjuak bay, Hudson strait, 
fox signs were scarce in the broken country south to Amadjuak lake, but 
several trails were seen in the vicinity of Amadjuak and Mingo lakes. 
Natives reported that in August, 1925, foxes were fairly numerous on 
the south side of Amadjuak lake where they had seen burrows in sandy 
ground near Mingo river. Eskimo reported that late in the summer of 
1925 there were abundant signs of foxes about the head of Frobisher bay. 
Eskimo also said that fox signs were plentiful January 1 to 5, 1925, at 
Markham bay, Hudson strait, but became scarcer after that time; that 
not until late in January were fox signs seen on the outside islands in 
Amadjuak bay; and that in late January, foxes were scarce inland, but on 
February 26 and continuing into March, trails were numerous on the 
lakes. It is said that southerly winds bring foxes across Hudson strait 
to the southern coast of Baffin island. Eskimo reported that in early 
June, 1922, foxes, still in winter fur, were plentiful around Mingo lake. 
The 1921-22 season is said to have been a big fox year in at least south 
Baffin island and to have occurred out of the regular cycle. 
J. C. Boss (1835, pp. 92-93) recorded that foxes were taken at Port 
Bowen in the winter of 1824-25. Kumlien (1879, p. 49) reported Arctic 
foxes to be common in 1877-78 in suitable localities on both sides of Cum- 
berland sound. Hantzsch (1913, pp. 153-4) stated that during the winter 
of 1909-10, between one hundred and fifty and two hundred foxes were 
caught in Cumberland sound and that only three were blue foxes. During 
May and June, 1910, he saw numerous tracks everywhere along his route 
from Blacklead island to Nettilling lake. Throughout October he found 
fox tracks everywhere he went along Foxe Basin coast, but by January 
foxes were no longer numerous in the vicinity of Koukdjitariak river and 
in March they were rare. Lavoie (1912, p. 103) reported the existence, 
in April, 1911, of numerous fox tracks near Whyte inlet. Tremblay 
(1921, p. 225) was told by Eskimo in 1913 that foxes were plentiful in 
Patricia Lake region north of Maxwell Murray bay. Allen and Copeland 
(1924) state that forty fox skulls were collected by the MacMillan expe- 
dition in 1921-22, at cape Dorset, Bowdoin harbour, and elsewhere. 
The Arctic fox lives largely on lemmings throughout the year. These 
they easily catch during the summer. In winter they dig through the 
snow for them or catch them as they wander on the surface. Ptarmigan 
may constitute part of the diet and, rarely, the Arctic hare, especially the 
young. In winter, foxes are often very thin, thus indicating their difficulty 
of making a living during this season. The writer noticed that toward 
spring, the foxes frequent the tide-formed ice crack along the coasts, 
possibly for the purpose of eating the seaweed which here and there has 
been brought to the surface. During March and April, the foxes capture 
very many of the helpless young of the ringed seal in their snow dens on 
the ice. Kumlien (1879, p. 50) writes: 
“I have often found the remains of the (young) seals so well skinned and cleaned that 
it seems impossible it could have been done by an animal. They begin by biting the 
skin around the mouth, and drawing the entire animal through the aperture and turning 
the skin inside out; even the flippers are drawn through to the nails, and every vestige 
of the meat removed. Nor is the skin bitten in the least, although it is finely cleaned of 
all fat. But the most remarkable part of all is, that the skeleton remains intact and finely 
cleaned. When the Eskimo find such skins they always make use of them, as they are 
quite as well skinned as if they had done it themselves. The white variety appears to be 
