New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-05
LIFE IN THE ARCTIC.
prpoRr OF THE JEANNETTEs NATURALIST.

,,oopr OF THE JEANNETTES NATURALIST
TIE OBSERVATIONS OF r. L NEwCoMb-BhAhS'
FOXES wALRUs, BIRDS AND FISH.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNEl
w,su1xarOS. Oct. 4.-The Secretary OF
he Navy has received the report OF Raymond Lee new
"o,,h ofsalem Mass late naturalist OF the Jeanette
.dttion Mr. Newcomb explains that as all the
t,nsns collected were lost with the Jeanette ms re
o ia necessarily made from sketehes, Drei notes anu
memoryD The report will nevertheless 10
~ interest and value TO natur lists ana s'uueu'S
of natural history. although Mr.. Neweomo ala NOT UNI
tbe Arctic teeming with nfe," as Clements MarKham
rsssed IT, Indeed the naturalist of the unfortunate
Ieanpette remarks Of the flesh OF polar bear, leu H
On. |ratreat that "it tasted good at thaI un0
7 frequently ate IT raw" While tne 49,
NJ Arctic foxes were often seen'
followed by those of bear, ong W -
these shy animals were captured. one g0tin'o
IRAN and one was caught by the dogs ho'' 'No 80.
potb of these were white to all outward aPP7@,""u
vet underneath the hair they were as D'uo a. -,
cat These specimens were founG ao'u' ~ -
from land The only members VI rh,r
family seen were polar Oe"'s, ,,1.a in
OF which were killed, the first one near 90. ds
- oIs ,yere seep particularly after the nrSV SUM
r,er EIGHT were killed but three oil thein were os -
sinking The meat welcomed as loo@' MI Wv -
r.gards the aesb however, as inferior 10 NeIJ poo
h,,,, 81 tbe walrns hide quickly Abandoned "heh
-, Emo, a SINGLE shot from Remington rihe cali-
-. IN Ii,ed a large walrus instantly. Mr. Newcomb
-. "some walrus are certainly carnivorons' =
toE rrom the stomach OF one some pieces OF young
s The authenticity Of this case IS beyond question:.
Ogthe seal family only two specimens were scotland
l., ,,,nohers. only one The fetid SEAL foe rat of
mout. was obtained. The skins were used for cloth
ing etc. and the Aash, especially OF ths young proven
INC " very fair eating for Arctic food. The MYERS
ooed with bacon we considered OF our best dishes
M the bearded seal only one was takcn III Is more
des,rable animal for food than the one before NEIL
toned "although a long ways from porter
house steak" It's skin makes excellent moccasih so'oS
The spec,men killed weighed about 800 pounds ana
20 II feet long During the first autumn few white
whales and very few narwhas were seen, but no large
vbales were seen after entering the Arctic Ocean.
birds we're numerous Three species Of
the Fringilnde family were seHn' ana
specinens of all OF them oD'oineu' one
raven was shot Excepting some white owls shot
Of Thaddeus and Kolteno islands ana by some OF the
Marty eaten 10 rapacous birds were seen In the Arctic
a feet which rather surprised Mr.. NeweomD' He shot
diteen ptarm2an and saw others He says lhaI US 'ou
in the summer ptarmgan in small numbers can DC
fouud on Thaddeus KOltenOi and semononsS lsanus'
I'd probably ON the other islands OF the new Siberian
DToup Some sea-fOwl can also be obtained. MI Now
ob shot two ployer on semOnohsky Island Or the red
nhalarope four specimens snot in the summer OF
1890 While on the in September 1882 these ois
were seen in large ocks just of the pacsedge appar
men OF tie 6iac-6eled sandpper were shot by Leuen-
ant Cnpp i'll 1880 They closely Iesepga 'h ne sisa
nontment In not finding other species OF th9 san1ppeI
FAMILY I'd adds: In fact Of several yHIe uts 9l Dntea
s~mmcr brIs was much disappointed at not learning
Suyblug" Before the Jeanette was lost, lie shot TWO
specimens of Il ongtailed dHck ihey WTGe IN
tember he large hoeks OF these oIds apparently
eethS !r5Te s6ot spme twenty or more elder ducks
while on the retreat They we're younS Dltus ID lhiha
tUre plumage rem iering Identification difficult In Fact
thew were picked and into the pot TOO soon 10 give 9hc
snv chance for study Food was the watcl-cy at that
ie-no, scientific specimens severa! Vaileu'S i tie
Guee gull we're seen in considerable numbers Inc ice
guls always very shy ana none was tahtT ai
Scwcomb thinks that this quee gull breeds az bnhetI
Island and that 1t p.eys upon the gulLemots hItwAhe
found in great numbers n tue b oG, anu e.tnS
Island they found breeding IN thousthus,
on the ragged rocks IN every possible pace Mr. Neh
comb says Gey were b go Would The wedge
tailed gull was several times observed MI NcWcOinu
Gives minute descriptions Of several specimens taken by
him. and says: found THIS species most c9inlnoh I'D
uue 1880 though while the retreat saw 1t IN July
no, Observed near any Of the islands vlse were
any traces Of its breeding-pla discovered have
ingfng from what have published OF this rare and
exquisite creature my own Is quite an SG,enaeG er
If tine species than all other IRE yious Arctic eX pelos
,Caon ~" gpiIemot species were both common. AS the
expedition neaGed Henrietta Island III 1851 MT New
comb several shot enough OF the former 70 eed inc
sbin,s Company At Bennett Island both species breed
in large numbers They closely resemble each Olher.
Another species Briinnchs guillemOt, was also very
common al Benefits Island, breeding in thousands
Aud at the lime were there writes MI NewGomD'
THE noise OF old and hafgrOwn birds sounded Ike an
army VI parrots In convention. Before leaving the
island the killed more than one hundred anal sho
FORTY They used as food. 80,
MT Newcomb writes: Fishes were not plentiful. at
any time But three species Observed though the
of an occasional cod OF good size we're found upon
the old ice All of the dredge specimens were lost.
Nit Newconb calls 1t interesting collection which lie
believes contained many specimens new 10 science.
He appenGs list OF fifteen mOusks, eight eollnDderms
two 6Fyozoa, five worms and two crustacea