Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-15
Musk OXEN FOR THE PARK.
Mr. Stein Has a Contract 10 Depsyep
Two Pairs Here

secretary Langley of the Smithsonian
institution has contracted with Mr.. Robert
stein, leader OF the Ellesmere Land expe-
diton, for the delivery OF two pairs Of
musk oxen for the National Geological Park
at Washington. This acquisition will be
Oh unusual interest because. SO far as
known. no geological park or menagene
In this country or Europe is known 10
possess living specimen Of that animal
Even stuffed specimens are very rare
the only one In the United States being that
presented by DIR. Kane to the museum Ct
the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences.
The musk OK is important from a biologic
point of view, being intermediate between
the sheep and the OK, so much 20 that
various travellers call IL indiscriminately
MUSK sheep and musk OK. A full-grown
specimen Is about the size OF q two-year-
Oh COW, and weighs about 200 pounds In
us native haunts IL feeds on grass and
nenehs III runs very fast. ana climbs
hiils ana rocks with great facility In the
rarely visited parts OF GrinneIl Land. hay-
ing no beasts OF prey to guard agains.
~ was found SO devoid of shyness that A
man might almost walk up and plunge a
nnine INTO H. The animal is said TO be very
ABUNDANT on Eilesmere Land, the very
name OF that land being in the EskiIao
language. mingmam Nuna, that Is, Musk
OK Land. The hair. brown i'm color. is so
ss@t ~ dinlosl reaches The ground.
anu, II obtained in sufficient quantty
would be very useful I'm the arts Col II
w. Feilden, naturalist to the English ex-
petition OF lss5-16. has long advocated the
introduction Of these animals into Great
britain. We find" says he, that the
haDitat OF the musk-ox is GONNA ra lively
close TO Europe, and 1 see no insupers he
oinculty IN the way of procuring liytn.,
specimens OF these most interesting ami
mas. As far back as the year 1873 point
cd out, In The ZoOlogist %. l7D, what A
valuable accession to our fauna the musk
OK would prove. If IT could be introduced
successfully into Great Britain. I see Lo
reason why ii should not thrive on tic
mountains Of the highlands of Scotland Ia
the winter season the musk-ox is covered
with long stapled hne wool in addition
10 ITS coat of hair. This wool In OF a lght
yellow color and fine as silk Sir John
nlchardson states that stockings nade
from this wool were more beautiful than
shk ones. Young musk-oxen are very cas-
lily reared and tanned and there could be no
great dlfhculty in catching Aither cid or
young in Jameson's Land. The risks Incl
cent 10 their transportation from East
Greenland 10 Europe are small and the
subject Is well worthy the consideration Of
tne council or our Geological Society"
Inc freely party caught several musk
calves, which became very tame and AZ
fectlonate and readily ate such food as Wa.
given them, but after some weeks for rea-
sons not ascertained. they sickeaed ana
dlei As, however. the polar bear and wal
rus readily survive In captivity. and do not
appear 10 suffer from the heat Of summer
In temperate ATTITUDES. there seems TO be
no good reason why musk oxen should not
thrive in the National Geological Park.