By JOHN 1\h:mnOCH, A.1\1., Sergeant Signal Corps, United States AI·my.
INTROD"lTTOHY.
The following report 011 the Natural History of the Point Barrow Expedition is presented by the writer, to whose charge the collections and notes were iutrusted. Part of the mnteriul has been turned oyer to specialists for study, and part has been worked up by the writer himself
The writer desires to express his thanks to Prof. S. F. Buird, director of the United States .Nationnl Museutn, for affording him every possible couvenicuce ill the way of luborutory nccoiu-modat iou at the SmitlIsonian Institution, and access to the libraries of tlie lnst itutiou, :IS well as for much valuable assistance uudadvice. He is indebted to the curators mul assixtu nt s of t ln-Museum, especially to Messrs. Robert Hitlgway, Richard Rathbun, ,,~.H. Dall .und T.II. Beau,Ior mueh willing and valuable assistance and advice. To Mr. Dall he is nlso partieulurlv indebted for access to his valnable library.
Ill' desires especially to acknowledge the nssistuuce rendered him by ::\11'..lames E. Benedict.
naturalist of the F. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross, who placed his hooks and his timo at the writer's disposal, for the identification of the collection of Worms.
Prof. AHa Gray, of Cambridge, Prof. C. V. Riley, of the Department of Agriculture, )lr. W.
B. Dall, of Washington, and:\11'.•J.,V", Fewkes, of Cambridge (the last as a personal favor to the writer), huve kindly prepared special reports 011 the Plants, Insects, Mollnsks and Acalcphs, rcspecti vely.
Professors A. E. Verrill and O. Harger, of' Yale College, and A. S. Packard, jr., of Brown University, and the Hon. Theodore Lyman, of Massachusetts, have kindly furnished tile writer with valuable assistnuce and many suggestions.
The Eskimo nnme of each animal husbeen appended wherever it was possible to obtain it, The report consists of the following divisions :
L-'MaIll1l1al".
n,-Hil'll:'.
lH.- Fisbcs.
IY.-Insl'cts.
Y.-:\Ia:in.' Invert..luat cs, exclnsive of Mollusks, VI.-1[olll1sks.
VII.-C'o1!ediug-Ioca liti,'1land dr('dgillg-statlOlIs.
VIII. --Plants.
A.-Xotl's011 Surface Life uurlerth« Sea-jet'.
B.-Xotes 011Surface Life, observed lluring tho voyag...1'1'011ISan Francisco to Point Barrow, uml llllriu~
the season of0])('11water at Point Barrow.
(!.-List of Itirds 1I0ti('I"] at Plover Bay. Eastern Siheria.
I.-MAMMALS.
By JOHN :MURDOCH,A. 1\1., Sergeant Signal Corps, United States Army.
The following report contains all the information we were able to gather concerning the mam-mals inhabiting that portion of Xorthwestern Alaskatraveled over by the Eskimos of Point Barrow in their hunting and trading expeditions.
From the character of the country and the necessarily confining nature of our duties at the station, much of it was obtained by hearsay from the natives, though the exploring and hunting expeditions made by Lieutenant Ray ann Captain Herendeen added considerably to onr l\JlO'i\'ledge of some species.
Marine mammals, of course, predominated in the immediate vicinity of the station, the Arctic Fox and the two species of Lemming being the only land mammals that were at all abundant. Of the larger mammals the most abundant are the Reindeer' and the Ringed Seal, which form the staple food of thenatives,
UI':iT OF ~!AMMAL8.
1. Canis occidentalis griaeo-albus Bd. WOLF(Amdxo).
2. Vulpes fulvus (Desm.) DeKay. REDFox(Kaiii'ktiik, ](am/'klua).
2b. Vulpes fulvus argentatusAna. & Bach. BLACI{Fox(Kaiii'ktiik).
3. Vulpes Iagopus (Linn.)And. & Bach. ARCTICFox(To·l'yiinia).
4. Gulo lUBCUS (Linn.)J.Sah. WOI_YEmSE (Ka'blciii).
5. Putorius erminea (Linu.)Griff. EIDUSE(Ti'I'i'a).
G. Ursus arctos? BAJ:RES-GROl'SO BEAR(A'k'11ak).
7. Ursusmaritimus Linu. POLAlt BI:.U:(o.Yii'nu).
8. Phoca vitulina Linn. H,UlBOnSEAL(Kasigi'a).
9. Phoca fcetidaFabricius. RISGEDSEAL(Netyl).
10. Eriguathus barbatus (Fabricius)Gill. BEARDEDSEAL(U'g'ru).
11. Histriophoca fasciata(Zimrn.) Gill. UIBBONSEAL(Kaix61iii).
12. Odobamns obesus(111.) Alleu. P.\ClYIC'YALRvs(A/iblriik).
13. Ovibos moscbatus «;nw1.) I\\ai11v. ~ILSJ{Ox (tmliimall).
14. Ovtsmontana(?)CI\\'. ~,IO{'\TAIXSHEEP; BIGHORN(TlItIlea).
15. Raugifer taraudus grcenlandicus (Kerr.) REISDEER(Tln'lu).
16. Elephas? sp. JLnDIOTJ[. (1Iili'YH'a).
17. Beluga sp, WHITE WrfAu: (!\·i1t'I!Jl/a).
18. Orca sp. KILI.Elt(A'.rlo).
19, Monodou mcnoceros Linn, XAI:WIL\L(Tuya'lli1).
20. Baleena mysticetus Li nu. POLARWHALE;BOWIIEAD(A' k'bll'uk).
21. Sorez foreterl Rich. FOI:sTlm',; SIIfU-:W x[oesR ("Gg'I'II'nu).
22. Myodes obensisBrants. T.\WXYLE~DIIXG(A'I'U;iiiu).
23. CuniCUlus torquatus(Pall.) Cones. Ht.nsox'sBAYLE~nIlXG.
24. Spermophilus empetra'(Pall.) Allen, PARRY'SSI'EInIOPHIU:(Sl'ksffi).
25. Lepus timidus arcticus Alien. POJ.An HARE.
92
EXPEDITION TO POINT BARROW, AIJJ\SKA.
1. CANIS OCCIDENTALIS GRISEO-ALBUS ne.
WOLF (Amlixo).
93
The ,\Volfnever appears to COllie near the coast in the vicinity of Point Barrow. The natives, however, have a good many of their skius and prize them nry highly for tri milling' their deer skin clothes, especially for making' the frill round the hood of the Jacket.
The skulls also are hip:hly valued [18 amulets or fetishes, uud no whaling iinualc is 1'Pgarclcd as properly fitted out unless provided with one or more wolf-skulls.
The uut ives speak of them as rather plenty inland along the rivers where the reindeer abound, and say thev chase the deer in packs.
0111' hunting' and exploring' parties which went inland in the spring of 1882 and lSS:Jsaw wolves several times but wore unable to securean~'specimens. The only skin we obtained, a ,PI'Y large male, was shot by a native lmuter near Meade River ill the spring' of 188;;'
<he of the Eskimo trading' parties which went east in the summer of 18S~ succeeded ill catch-ing a couple of male cubs alive. These were brought home early ill Sep1t'llluer, aud carefully fed till lute in December, at which time their fur was supposed to he fit for use. TlH',Y were then killed with much ceremony, with a stollc·hcadell arrow.
The natives appear to regard the Wolf with a certain amount of superstitious reverence. A mall who has killed a Wolf must sleep out of doors in a tent or snowifllu, for one "mooll" from that time.
We obtained one skin a nd six skulls,
2. VULPES FULVUS (Desm.) DeKay.
HIm Fox (J[aidktfik, ]((llu//ldwl).
2b. VULPES FULVUS ARGENTATUS Aud. & Bach.
HLACI, on SILVER Fox (J(aili'ktuk).
A few skins of Black and Red Foxes came in among the fill'S obtained by the trader at the station. They were all, however, Raid to have been obtained b.y trade from the tribes further to the east.
One of our native deer-hunters last spring (1883), however, came in with a, report that he had seen and wounded a Black Fox near the hill l'uasu'knan, which is close to the upper Meade River,
No skins of the cross fox (V. fulrus t7ccussatus) were found among the trade fox-skins.
3. VULPES LAGOPUS (Liull.) Aud. & Bach.
ARCTIC Fox (Tcri'fjliJlia.)
The White Fox is quite abundant near the station, especially in winter, when their tracks are to he seen in the snow all oyer the tundra. They are, however, so exceedingly shy, and so well protected uy their white covering that the animals themselves are seldom seen at this season.
During the egg season, that is, through June, they may be frequently seen "quartering" the tundra in search of eggs and sitting birds, particularly at night, and are occasionally found J'I111'
ning along the beach, Their speed when alarmed is very great. They seem almost to flyover the ground instead of running.
Though usually wry wild, hunger sometimes renders them quite bold and familiar. In the spring" of 1882, one of the women at the hunting camp on Meade River found one in the meat house and easily killed him with a stick.
'rhey are, in general, pretty widely scattered over the country, but sometimes r,athcr in large numbers where there is an~particular supply of food.
The Eskimos reported in February 1882, that there were great numbers of them one ,lay's journey to tho east feeding on the carcass of a whale that had been washed ashore. A11)' game
94
EXPEDITION TO POINT nARROW, ALASKA.that is left out over night must be carefully covered up with slabs of snow or it will be S001l eaten hy the foxes.
A good many of them are caught by the Eskimos, either with steel traps or "tigure-of-four"
traps of their own construction. In using a steel trap they do not bait the trap itself, hut place the hait in a little house made of slabs of snow. The trap is set and carefully buried ill theSllOW
'atth ..doorway of the house so that the fox must stepOilit in his endenvors to reach the bait.
'rhey build a similar house for their "deadfall" or "figure·of-four" trap, and arrange the log above tl;e door of the house so the fox brings it down across his back when he reaches in for the meat.
The trader obtained a large number of White Fox skins, mostly in fine condition with very heavy thick fill'. Out of the number there were two or three ill the "blue" condition, also heavy winter skins.
The summer pelago seems to be completely assumedby the middle of .Tuly. A female shot close to the station, July 8, 1882, had the brown summer coat very short awl thin, with bnnches of white fill' still adhering to it, and a few scattered white hairs still remaining. She was very thin and dirty, and about as miserable a looking creature as could well be imagined.
In 1883, a female in nearly the same pelage was taken at Woody Inlet with her two blind cubs, about the size of new-born kittens. They were the color of a Maltese eat.
They were very rarely seen after the middle of .luly until well into October, when they became quite plenty and by that time had again become completely white,
'I'heir tracks were occasionally seen out on the sea-ice, where they had wandered, perhaps in • the hopes of pickings of seal offuI, after some bear, or perhaps in pursuit of stray lemmings or ptarmigans, that every now and then get ont upon the ice.
,
'i. GULO LUSCUS (Linn.) J. Sab.
WOLVERINE (Ka'blclfi).
'I'he Wolverine was never seen hy any of onr parties nor reported by the natives. Wolverine-skins, however, are very plenty among the Eskimos, and highly valued for trimmings. The tail is especially sought for as an ornament to be worn at the back of the belt.
All these skins are brought from the interior, and are generally obtained by trading.
5. PUTORIUS ERMlNEA (Linn.) Griff.
ERMINE (Teria.).
Skins of Ermines, hoth' in summer and winter pelage, are common among the natives, and are occasionally worn as trimmings or amulets. During the winter their tracks and droppings wen' occas!onally to be seen on the tundra. All adult male in full summer pelage was shot close to the station early on the morning of ,July Hi, 1883.
6. URSUS ARCTOS?
BARHEN·GROUND BEAU' (A'kqlak) .
. 'l'h?re is a
brow~l
bear in the interior, of which we were unable to secure a specimen, and which IS probably Htehardson's "Barren·Ground Bear ". The natives bad several more or less mutilated skins, which in eolor closely resembled the cinnamon bearThe Bskimos say that the IIland bear" is abundant durinz the'smumer illthe neighborhood
of l\Iea<le River. t>
7. URSUS MARITIMUS Linn
POLAR BEAR (Nii'nu).
Polar Bears
ar~
by no means 1';0 abUlHlaut about Point Barrow -as might be expected, andth~y app~ar ~o
confine themselves almost entirely to the i('('.tit>lll at SOllle distance from the shore, on S eommgIII to the land when driven by hunger. During the whole of our stay at the stationEXPEDITIOK TO POINT IL\IWO\V, ALAHKA.
Ha
we knew of not more than eleven or twelve being- taken, and they were ),HIt·1! fly the 1·;l'lkilllO~.
Our party frequeutly saw benr-tracks on the ice, hut nobody a:-; IllUI'II :1:-; saw a living' 11I'al"('\I'('pt
Lieutenant Ray, who had the ::rood tortune to catch a glimpse of one as ho marie his l'l'l('alH' into the moving' ice pursuedby all the dogs and half the men and WOIl\('n of the vilhun-,
The hears seemed generally anxious to eseap« WlH'U tlH'Y eneouutered UH'II':11111 clog'i'l, Only one or two showed fight or came to hay.
Bears wen' wandering about the ice all the year 1'01111<1. a:-; the nntives o('easionall~'l't'IHlI'te(l them, and twice duriug the winter of 1882-'83, impelled hy hunger, they eume boldly into the vil-lage, once at night and once in broad daylight, and 111:111(' an attack on sOJlleh()(l~"s storehouse of seal-meal. Ofcoursethe nativesimmediately turned out and killed the bear,
Townrds the end of April, 188;~, a native who belonged at tile Point Barrow village, when returning from the spring deer-hunt, met a she-beur and her eub, SOIlW 20 miles inlnnd, at 11lC' point where the Eskimo trail crosses theriver Kuarn, am! killed them both. 'VI' obtained their skins by purchase.
The bears killed in winter were beautifully dean arul white, but in summer thc~' become exceedingly brown and dirt.", One killed in August, 1883, was so llirtyHI'! to 11(> almost bluel..
about the legs.
8, PHOCA VITULINA Linn.
HAHBOI~SEAL, (1{((xi{/ia).
'The Hurbor Seal is well known to the Eskimos, who have several skins of this species,alllOIl~
their" pokes" or floats 1'01'whaling. 'fh(',\" said that tlH',\" occasionallv captured it atL'ergnink ill
Elson Bay, awl down the coast at "'ainwright':-; Inlet, where it is sail) to "haul out " on lnnd.
This species is represcnred ill 0111' collection hy a siugle skull brought ill for sale by a native, who dill not know where it came from.
9. PHOCA FCETIDA Fabricius.
HDiGED SEAL (SI~(!lI).
Ti/,rguii,OLD 8T1XKIXG MAI.E; Sli"It",FE\I.\I.I-:: Xl'ly;"'r,,, YO{'X(l OF Tlm YY..UI.
This is the onlyseal that is at all common at Point Barrow, and is the mainstapleof food of the Eskimos. Itremains the whole year through, and is to he found anywhere in the icefleld that there are sufficient cracks for it to find :11breathing place.
'I'hey especially affect the ice, and eonsequently are rarely to he seen in summer, when the sen is clear of ice. When, however, there is much loose ice running, seals are always to he found in plenty, and are captured hy the Eskimos from their umiaks with rifle and harpoon. 'l'hey oeca-sionallv come into the shoal water of Elson Bay in the summer, and are taken ill nets set along the shore.
When the ice comes in and the seabeginsto freeze oyer in Octoberthey becomequite abun-dant, haunting the open pools in the pack ami mnking breathing-holes ((((Uu) ill the" young ice."
At this season the natives take them cntirely with the rifle and harpoon, either shooting them al(
they swim in the open pools, and darting a harpoon into them before thl',)" sin)" or else watching at the breathing-hole with the rifle andstabbing-harpoon.
As the season adva.icesinto November and December and the sun disappears, 80 that there are only a few hours of'daylight, the seal-netting begins. This eau oulv be carried on ill tllf' darkest nights when there is no moon, The natives Ray that ('"ell a hright anrora interferes with their success,
At this season of t)II.'year there are "pry often lnrge temporary cracks in the iee-fleld a mih' or two from theshore, which remain open for sen'r:ll clays at a time, and are a grent haunt of the seal". When such a crack is discovered the hunters from fhe ,-magI' turn ont ill fMC'I'.and Kkirt along the edge of thecrnr-k till they flnd a suitable pla<'(' for sl~ttillg their ueta,
9()
BXPl~DlTION TO POINT BARRO'V, AljASKA.'rhey select a place where the ice is level and not too thick for about a hundred yards from the ell/.;c of the crack and then proceed with their ice-picks to cutthree holes parallel tothecrack.
'i'lw middle bole is large enough to admit the passage of a seal, and the other two are smaller and serve to allow the stretching lines of the net to pass through, They are about five yards, the length of the net, apart. The stretching lines are let down through these holes, and grappled and drawn up through the ceuter 1101e with a, long slender 1100ked pole. They are then attached to the upper COrJlCr8 of the net, which is thusdrawn down through the middleholeand hangs like a curtain underneath the ice. TIle eud-lines are loosely fastened to lumps of ice, and the hunter Hitting down near the net begins to rattle on the ice with the butt of his pick, scratch with a little too) made of seals' claws mounted on a wooden handle, whistle softly, or make some continuous gentle noise which excites the curiosity of the seals, who are swimming round. in the open water.
Thesecome swimming in under the ice in the direction of the sound and of coursecomein contact with the net, which, hanging loosely, soon completely entangles them. The running out of the end-lines warus the hunter that there is a seal in the net, and when be thinks it is sufficiently entangled, be hauls it up through the middle holeby means of a line attached to the middle of the net. The seal is frequently drowned by the time it is hauled up, but sometimes has to be killed by bending the head back sharply so as to break the neck.
After disentaugliug his catch, the.hunter sets his net again and waits for another seal. I have knowna single hunter to catchas many as thirty seals in the course of one night. , Thedeadseals of course freeze stiff yery rapidly, and if there is snow enough on the surface of the ice, they are stacked up, by sticking them up on their tail:'! in the snow to prevent their being snowed over,
until they can lie brought in by the dog-sleds. '
When there isnoimitable water for netting on a, large scale, the natives are constantly on the watch for small cracks and breathing-holes, where the seals come regularly. TWl)or three men will surround such a place with four or five nets,,'-\0that every seal that comes to the hole Is sure to be caught. These nets arc kept permanently setandare visited everyday or two.
Later in the season when the sun has returned, and the hunters find regularly established hreathing-boles in the ice.field, the nets are stretched flat across the holes bv cutting four holes round the adlu, and stretching the corners of the net out to these. Each hunter will have several nets set in this way and will visit them every day or two.
When the ;, leads" of water open oft:' shore in April, seals are always quite abundant there and the whaling umiake usually catch a good many. They continue abundant all through the whaling s:as?n. T<n:anls the end of June awl through the month of ,July, when the ice, especially the level ice inshore,1:'\growing rotten and wearing into holes, tlwy begin to come up through these
When the ;, leads" of water open oft:' shore in April, seals are always quite abundant there and the whaling umiake usually catch a good many. They continue abundant all through the whaling s:as?n. T<n:anls the end of June awl through the month of ,July, when the ice, especially the level ice inshore,1:'\growing rotten and wearing into holes, tlwy begin to come up through these