46 
BEYIEWS. 
with the western Parry Islands, are conclusive on this interesting ques¬ 
tion :— 
“An idea may be formed of the sterile nature of this locality [west coast of North 
Somerset],—the most desolate known in the Arctic Regions,— by the small quantity of 
game shot during our journey [forty days, 500 miles] : eight ptarmigan, seven or eight 
eider ducks, a few gulls, a diver, and two little phalaropes, comprise the entire list.” 
In M'Clintock’s second sledge journey, along the southern shores of 
the Parry Islands (eighty days, 900 miles), the following is the list of 
game secured and sighted:— 
“ During our absence of eighty days the temperature varied from 52° above zero to 
40° below; average temperature 15°, and range 92°, 4 musk oxen were shot, and 46 
seen; 1 reindeer shot, and 34 seen; 2 bears shot, and 10 seen ; 1 wolf seen, and wounded; 
1 snowy owl seen, and shot; many hares, ptarmigan, brent geese, and ducks were seen, 
and a few of each shot. Much more might have been killed, but I never wantonly de¬ 
stroyed life; their presence often served to relieve that oppressive feeling which the deso¬ 
lation and unbroken stillness of the solitudes are wont to occasion.” 
In the third sledge journey (105 days, 1400 miles), in the western 
and north-western islands of the Parry group, the supplies appear to have 
been still more abundant: — 
“ As bearing upon the distribution of animal life, I subjoin a record of all that were 
shot or seen. 
Locality. 
Date. 
Musk¬ 
oxen. 
Rein¬ 
deer, 
c 
X2 
8 
Brent 
Geese. 
Ducks. 
Ptarmi¬ 
gan. 
Shot. 
- Seen. 
Shot. 
i 
GQ 
, to 
TO 
cy 
i 
<y 
TO 
a? 
GO 
Gulls. 
Shot. 
Seen. 
Shot. 
Seen, j 
Shot. 
Seen. | 
Melville Island, 
Between 
April 4 & May 13, 
2 
59 
2 
29 
i 
9 
16 
July 1 and 19,. . 
2 
30 
1 
74 
2 
15 
34 
3 
107 
2 
18 
4 
12 
Prince Pa- > 
trick’s Island ) 
May 14 & June26, 
3 
5 
5 
8 
> 
2 
12 
2 
20 
- 
5 
9 
37 
Emerald Isle, 
June 26 and 30, 
- 
- 
- 
13 
- 
1 
7 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Total amount of Animals met with 
7 
94 
8 
124 
4 
18 
53 
5 
127 
2 
23 
22 
65 
“ No traces of bears were found. A few wolf-tracks were seen, but only on Melville 
Island. No traces of oxen, deer, foxes, or ptarmigan beyond the 77tli parallel, except 
in one instance, when a decayed bone of a deer and traces of a fox were found. Up to 
77° N., fox-tracks were frequently seen, although we never saw the animal. Lemmings 
were tolerably numerous wherever there was vegetation. Three kinds of gulls were seen. 
The ivory gulls (Larus eburneus ) were the earliest to arrive, and were found furthest 
north ; they began to lay eggs before the thaw commenced; eight only were seen, and all 
of them on Prince Patrick’s Land. Seventeen glaucous, and twenty-eight skua gulls 
(Lestris parasiticus ), the latter chiefly on Melville Island. Of the ducks, three were 
long-tailed (Anas glacialis ), and the other twenty-two were king-ducks (Anas spectabi- 
lis). Several snow-buntings, sparingly, but universally distributed; four or five red pha¬ 
laropes ; two sea snipes; a raven ; and a bird supposed to be a snowy owl, complete the 
list.” 
